AU Torchwood Convention
by Tylluan
Summary: The setting is post S2 for this, so some minor spoilers may apply. The following is a time line where Captain Jack, Ianto and Gwen investigate an odd rift anomaly and find themselves in far different place than they expected to be....
1. Chapter 1

"All right, what the hell just happened?" Captain Jack asked as he shook off the dizzy feeling that seemed to overcome him for a moment when they inadvertently ran into that shimmering cloud in the alley. He spun around and saw that the shimmering light was dissipating, leaving a white wall with large painting in front of him. "Are you two okay?"

"Oh my head," Gwen moaned with her eyes closed. She leaned against a glass window as she tried to steady herself. Ianto stood off to one side looking intently at the portable rift monitor in his hand.

"I'm alright, but I haven't a clue as to where we are at the moment. It looks like we were inadvertently transported someplace." He tapped at the display as he attempted to trace the residual readings he had been tracking as they ran down the alley. He looked up at Jack who was staring intently at the painting in front of him. "What is it, Jack?"

By this time Jack had moved right up to the painting, which was an abstract of whirling colors. There was a sign off to the side with the title The Rift Vortex. A small piece of paper was attached to the sign with several names scribbled in and a set of numbers which increased as they went down the page. "Okay, can either of you tell me why I am looking at a painting that is called The Rift?"

"And why is Gwen leaning up against a glass case with what looks like one of her outfits?" Ianto asked. He turned slowly, taking in their surroundings. They seemed to be in the corner of a room that looked to be some sort of museum. There were portable walls with artwork on each of them, all with the small slips of paper with writing on them. Interspersed with these walls were glass cases with mannequins, all dressed in various outfits that looked extremely familiar. "And Jack, what is your coat doing in that one?"

Jack glanced around before moving swiftly around the space, a finger to his lips as they heard people moving about nearby. It seemed like they were alone for the moment, so he took the time to scan each of the cases. Some were of clothes, others items that looked very familiar. "Kids, I've been in some strange places in my time, but this one takes the cake."

"Oi, that's my jacket!" Gwen exclaimed as she finally noticed the outfit inside the box she was leaning against. "What's it doing here?" She looked back at Ianto who shrugged. He cautiously made his way past her, listening intently at the babble that seemed to drift through a door at the end of the isle.

"Careful!" Jack hissed, pulling his gun and making his way down a second isle to the left of the one Ianto had chosen. Gwen followed behind him, watching his back as they crept along. A gasp from Ianto further down cause them to break into a sprint. They ignored the artwork as they came around the corner to find Ianto face to face with a Weevil in a glass case.

"Is it... dead?" Gwen asked once she realized that the Weevil was stationary.

"No, it's a statue," Ianto said softly, still gazing at the figure in amazement. He lowered his gun and gestured to the left, indicating several other cases, all with creatures familiar to each of them. One held a blowfish, still dressed in a smart suit. Another held a Hoix, cigarettes littered at it's feet. Each case had a small piece of paper attached with a large NFS and an X through the paper. Ianto's gaze traveled to the feet of the Weevil cage where he noticed some writing with a familiar stylized T at the top of the page. "What's this?"

Jack was still monitoring the door, but he spared a glance at Ianto, who had knelt down to read something. "What is it?"

"It's a letter with the Torchwood letterhead," Ianto said, reading intently. "This costume is one of the secondary Weevil figures used in the episode 'Dead Man Walking,' original airdate 20 February 2008." He looked up in bewilderment at Captain Jack. "Where are we?"

"Not home, certainly." Jack said grimly as he slowly closed the door to give them some more time. There was no way to lock it that he could see, but hopefully it would buy them some time before they were interrupted. "Okay, let's go over what just happened. The alarm went off and we went to Llanishen to check it out. I remember that shimmer in the alley," Jack drifted off, trying to recall what happened.

"And I heard a cry," Gwen said. "A woman cried out. That's when we began to run. Then that cloud shifted or something. One minute it was down the end of the alley and the next it was right in front of us." She was still staring at the items around them, trying to make sense of what it all was.

"There were fluctuations in the spike," Ianto said as he called up some information on the monitor in his hand. "In fact, I'm still getting some, but not as strong as they were. They seem to come and go."

"Can we get back to where we were?" Jack asked, moving to look over Ianto's shoulder.

"Unknown, sir. I think we'll need some additional information before I can say definitively." Ianto sighed. "I'll leave the monitor on and check it. In the meantime, do we stay here or keep on looking around? Since that thing seems to move, there's no guarantee that it will open in the same place it left us." He looked at his captain with a sober expression on his face. Jack looked worried as well. He paced about the small space as he debated their options. It was while he was doing this that the door suddenly opened and someone stepped inside.

"Lt Grange reporting for duty, sir!" The young man said, saluting them. Jack blinked in astonishment. The kid was wearing a UNIT outfit, but one very poorly made. He was also not someone that Jack could ever imagine being recruited for that elite organization. He was a scrawny young man, thin and awkward as he tried to stand at attention while Jack looked him over. "They're ready for you, sir."

"They are?" Jack said with a raised eyebrow. "Who's your commanding officer, soldier?"

"Oh, this is great!" The young man exclaimed with glee before realizing that he had fallen out of character. "Sorry about that! Ummmm, Lt Colonel O'Brien is my CO, sir!" He saluted again and almost knocked his cap off. Ianto had to turn away to hide a smile at the young man's earnest expression. If this was an example of the people in this place, getting out of here shouldn't be a problem, he mused silently.

"And remind me again who is waiting for us?" Jack asked, moving closer and using his size to loom over the lieutenant.

"I'm to escort to your next panel, Captain. The con com told me that you were here preparing to step into character before the panel started, and asked me to bring you to the ballroom. I have an honor guard waiting to bring you through the crowds so you won't be bothered. I love the idea of having a panel completely in character! And may I say that you are doing a fabulous job, sir!" The soldier grinned, braces showing prominently on his teeth. "This is just the best!"

Jack couldn't hold back a chuckle of amusement at the obvious enthusiasm of the boy in front of him. "I suppose you better escort us, then."

"Jack, is that a good idea?" Gwen asked, nervous about leaving the room without more information. "Shouldn't we wait here until we know more?"

Jack shrugged. "Nothing to be gained by sitting in one place, Gwen. You heard what Ianto said. Besides, I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic. I need to see what's going on. And the lieutenant is our willing guide, so why not take advantage of it? C'mon, what can it hurt?" He smiled winningly at his team members. Gwen glanced at Ianto who shrugged. He could tell that Jack was getting antsy.

"This way, please," Lt Grange said, opening the door wider and clicking his heels together. Jack swept out of the room into what seemed to be the middle of a small platoon. None of the young men surrounding him looked very old, nor did their uniforms fit any better. Gwen stuck to his side while Ianto followed behind, stashing his rift monitor in a pocket and hiding his gun away from view. As the lieutenant shut the door behind them, Ianto could see a large sign on the door that said "Art Show will re-open at 6pm after the main panel." A quick glance showed a large crowd of people milling about, filling the hallway. They were dressed in all sorts of clothes, some t-shirts and jeans while others wore exotic outfits.

"Lead on," Jack said, taking it all in with a broad grin. It seemed to him that these people were harmless for the most part, so he willingly followed the troop along as they led the way to their destination. They could all hear whispers and gasps as they passed, though some people were bold enough to call out to each them by name. Gwen kept on looking about nervously. It bothered her that these people knew who they were. She looked at Ianto who seemed unperturbed by all of the commotion. He was dressed as impeccably as usual, with nothing out of place as he followed along.

They passed through an archway and entered a large ballroom that was filled with people facing an empty stage. The honor guard paused at the back of the room while a woman stood and approached the microphone. The crowd stilled as she stood at the mic, waiting for them to settle. "Welcome. Today is a special day, as the cast has agreed to do a panel completely in character. If there was ever any question that you were dying to ask, now is your chance to do it." The crowd hooted with excitement and the woman waited for them to settle down. "Now remember, no spoiler questions will be allowed!" A round of boos was the response to that comment. "Now, now, they've been very gracious to do this for us! No booing! And remember, if there's any question that Mr Davies deems inappropriate, he will indicate that to us and the question will not be answered. Thank you, Mr Davies, for being so kind as to allow us to do this. Thank you, also to the cast of Torchwood!"

Jack was listening intently, eyes searching the room, taking in the strategic locations and exits. He began to understand what had happened to them. A glance behind him showed him that Gwen didn't understand what was going on, though from the worried expression on Ianto's face, he could see that he had probably come to the same conclusions.

"UNIT, will you please escort our guests to the stage!" The woman yelled. The group around them came to attention and started to move forward, Lt Grange at the head with a large grin on his face. They moved slowly up the isle while the crowd cheered on.

"Jack, is this what I think it is," Ianto asked softly. "Are we in an alternate reality where Torchwood is a television show?"

"Got it in one, Ianto." Jack said, smiling broadly as he waved at the adoring crowd. "I believe this is a science fiction convention."


	2. Chapter 2

"A what?" Gwen squeaked. She was still extremely nervous, afraid something terrible was about to happen. By this time they had reached the stage and their honor guard moved to allow them access to the stairs. The woman on stage smiled down at them. "Let me introduce them to you, so let's give a cheer for our guests. I bring you the mastermind of the Torchwood operation, Captain Jack Harkness!"

Jack moved forward and climbed the stairs, his greatcoat swirling around him. He swept the large woman into his embrace and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. She swooned while the crowd cheered wildly. He released the woman, who fanned herself in reaction.

"Next, we have Jack's second in command, and the heart of Torchwood, Gwen Cooper! Though perhaps I should say Gwen Williams, shouldn't I?" The woman said with a merry laugh. Gwen scrambled up the stairs, eager to be closer to Jack where she felt safe. Her eyes grew huge as she took in the size of the crowd facing them. Jack held her hand, squeezing her fingers in encouragement. The crowd cheered wildly and she looked at them dazedly, overwhelmed.

"Last, but never least, we have the man who makes Torchwood run like clockwork. The man behind and in front of Captain Jack in most episodes, Ianto Jones!" The crowd tittered in reaction while Ianto climbed the stairs and stood on Jack's other side. He quirked an eyebrow at Jack at his introduction. He could have been mistaken, but the innuendo had been clearly stated in his introduction. He wondered just how different this universe was from their own. His eyes swept the crowd, taking in the signs that many of them were holding. One said "I wank for Weevils!" He blinked. Definitely an adult crowd, he mused silently.

"Let me set the ground rules for this discussion. I've been informed that our actors will remain in character throughout this panel, and will react accordingly," the moderator said, motioning for her staff to bring out stools and mics for each of them. "There are mics at the front of the room. Please form a line to ask your questions. No involved questions and please keep what you say short so that as many people get a chance to talk to the Torchwood team in the time we have. " She gestured for her guests to sit. Gwen perched on her stool and took her microphone, glancing at Jack. He straddled his stool, looking relaxed. Ianto sat more conservatively, pulling his suit jacket down to avoid wrinkles.

"Let me begin with an obvious question before opening to audience questions. Captain, could you please explain how you and your team found yourselves here today?" The moderator asked, waiting eagerly for a response.

"Good evening, Madam Moderator. Thank you for your very kind introduction for myself and my team." Jack smiled winningly at the crowd and they heard several people cry out in response. "My team was investigating an odd rift spike when we found ourselves transported here. We're a bit startled that you know all about us. We thought we were a secret organization. Imagine our surprise to find you know all about us!" Jack laughed and the crowd laughed with him.

"So you were in Cardiff just moments ago?" The moderator gasped, playing into Jack's explanation.

"Yes, we were. We were tracking an anomaly in Llanishen, which is in the north part of the city. The next thing we know, BAM!" Jack smacked his hands together. " And we were here. That's the rift for you, unpredictable!" Gwen frowned at Jack's obvious enthusiasm about their predicament. She met Ianto's glance and looked down at her watch and back to him. He gave a slight nod as he eased the monitor out of his pocket and tried to tap it unobtrusively.

"And what are you doing, Ianto?" The moderator asked, pointing to the device in his hand. He glanced at Jack who shrugged. Obviously he was supposed to play a part, as Jack was. He wasn't sure what that was supposed to be, so he decided to wing it.

"Checking my portable rift monitor," he said, the mic picking his soft response clearly. He had put his mic on the stand provided, wanting his hands free for whatever he might need to do. "I'm hoping that I can find a pattern to the rift fluctuations so we can predict when it will open again so we can get back home. Not that we want to leave right away," he amended, not wanting it to look like they were being rude to their hosts. "But we'll have to get back home eventually."

"Oh course you will, darling." The moderator purred. She was having the time of her life running this panel. The actors were spot on character, and she was thrilled be on stage with them. "Hopefully you'll have time to answer a few questions before you have to leave us."

"Yes, ma'am," Ianto said, trying to be polite. "I'll do my best."

"Excellent. Gwen, what do you make of all of this?"

"It's a little overwhelming, if I'm being honest," Gwen replied. "I'm not used to traveling the way Jack does." Her response caused the crowd to laugh in delight.

"And how is your husband?" The moderator asked, responding to Gwen's apparent nervousness and attempting to engage her in chat to make her feel more comfortable.

"Oh, Rhys? He's grand, thank you." Gwen responded politely. She was still trying to take in what Jack told her on the way up to the stage. If in fact they were television characters in this reality, this crowd were actually fans, and hopefully not too dangerous. Her anxiety lessoned as she continued to chat away with the moderator like two magpies over little details in her life.

Ianto took the opportunity to check the monitor again. There was a faint echo of the original signal and he set the monitor to time others that might appear, as well as the strength and frequency and relative distance from their entry point. Hopefully, he would garner enough information to be able to predict when a stronger one would arrive, along with an approximate location. With luck, it wouldn't be too far from where they presently were and they would be able to find their way back home. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't notice that the lively exchange with the moderator had transitioned to individuals in the crowd asking questions. It wasn't until he noticed a pause that he looked up to see everyone watching him. Jack had a huge grin on his face while Gwen giggled beside him.

"Pardon?" Ianto asked, slightly embarrassed that he had been caught not paying attention.

"The lovely lady asked you a question, Ianto." Jack said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"I'm so sorry," Ianto apologized to the young woman standing at the front of the crowd. "Was monitoring again. What was the question?"

The woman giggled and it took her a few moments to get the question out again. "I said, if Jack can get pregnant because he's from the 51st century and we all know that men can get pregnant in the future, have you ever thought that you could someday be the father of his child?"

Ianto blinked in surprise at the unexpected request. His mind raced as he thought of all of the ramifications of what these people knew about him, Jack, and Torchwood in general. He could tell from Jack's expression that the other man was having fun in this reality. Trust the captain to enjoy the most bizarre of circumstances that they found themselves in! "Well, I never really thought about it before," he prevaricated, stalling for time as he tried to think of some reasonable response. It was obvious that even in this version of the universe that he and Jack had a relationship. He never considered it being so public, so he wasn't sure how to respond. "And honestly, it's not like our line of work lends itself to having or raising a child."

"But if you could, would you?" The girl asked, smiling at him as she twirled a lock of hair.

"That would be up to Jack to decide, I suppose. It is his body, after all," Ianto replied. "How about it, Jack?"

"Only for you, Ianto," Jack said with a grin. He laughed as Ianto looked down, a bit flustered by both the crowd's cheering and Jack's response. He paid closer attention to the questions as they occurred. Most of the crowd asked questions of Jack. Obviously he was an immensely popular figure. Ianto relaxed, happy to sit in the background rather than answer some of the questions that Jack and Gwen fielded. Once or twice the man sitting in the front row who had been introduced at the start of the panel would laugh delightedly, or interrupt to make a point. Ianto wasn't sure who he was, but he certainly seemed to be an authority on Torchwood.


	3. Chapter 3

"Let's have another question for Ianto," the moderator suggested. "He's probably feeling left out."

"Not a problem," he replied as the crowd laughed. Someone raised their hand and was allowed to move to the front of the line. It was a young man with a t-shirt bearing the Torchwood logo on it.

"I have a question for Ianto." the young man said. The moderator nodded for him to proceed. "Ianto, in the episode Reset, you had a conversation with Martha about Jack." He paused while Ianto frowned, trying to follow what he was saying. "You know, in the autopsy room when you were getting her fake ID ready to get into the Pharm." Ianto's eyes widened as he recollected the conversation. He was experiencing an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. It seemed so surreal that these people not only knew everything about their organization, but could also quote their own words back to them. He didn't dare look at Jack at this moment, knowing that the young man front of him was going to reveal something very embarrassing in a moment or two. He closed his eyes briefly, praying for the rift to open and swallow him whole. When that didn't happen, he resigned himself to listening to the rest of the question.

"While you were talking to Martha, you said that you and Jack dabbled together, and that it was innovative," the young man said, pronouncing the word as an American would, "and avant garde." Ianto could hear Jack laughing out loud at the description and he could feel his face burning red in response. Gwen was covering her mouth with her hands, her shoulders shaking with laughter. Earlier she had been the subject of several very intense and embarrassing questions, both about her attraction to Jack as well as her relationship with Rhys. She hadn't been privy to the conversation that the young man was referring to, but it was obvious from Ianto's reaction that this had actually happened in their own version of reality. "Could you please give us some examples of what you consider avant garde dabbling?"

Ianto sat in shock, speechless. Jack was doubled over with laughter, leaning on Gwen's knee for support. He didn't know what to say. The crowd was hushed in expectation, waiting for his response. All sorts of things raced through his mind. He quickly sifted through them, trying to come up with something diplomatic to say. He knew from Gwen's earlier grilling that this group wasn't one to let him off lightly.

"Erm, well, what can I say?" He stalled, searching for a response. It seemed that his voice boomed throughout the silent room. His mind went over advice his father used to say when he was a teenager. Clutching at one, he smiled brilliantly. "A gentleman should never kiss and tell, after all."

"Oh come on, Ianto!" The moderator coaxed. "You have to share!" The crowd picked up her last word, chanting "Share! Share!" Ianto glanced helplessly at Jack, who had tears streaming down his face.

"C'mon Ianto, it's all right, I don't mind," Jack said. "After all, it's only us, and just a small group of friends. Besides, they all promise that what is said here, stays here. Right, everyone?" He gestured to the crowd who roared an agreement. "So what was your favorite?" Obviously Jack wasn't going to help. Talk about fanning the flames, Ianto thought in despair. Gwen was resolutely avoiding his glance. He knew he was stuck. The young man was still at the mic, staring at him expectantly.

"Well, there are just so many to choose from," he said as the audience quieted down enough to hear him speak. He glanced nervously at his watch, wanting to check the monitor again, but he knew he couldn't. "And so hard to say in polite company." The crowed laughed and he could hear cat calls that if anything made his blush deepen further. "Well, if you must insist on an answer, I would have to say that the aerial trapeze was one of Jack's more inspired moments." He hoped he could leave it there with their imagination filling in the blanks.

"Trapeze?" The moderator prompted, looking for details. Her comment overrode Gwen's own response of "what trapeze?"

In for penny, Ianto thought with a sigh as he glanced at the Captain. Jack had controlled his laughter and was sitting on his stool watching Ianto with a grin plastered on his face. "In the Hub, it's mounted to the ceiling near the water tower. Jack and I took it through it's paces one evening while the others were out hunting Weevils." He was pretty sure that his face would be burned a brilliant red forever after today.

"And pray tell, what does one do on a trapeze," the moderator asked, clearly enjoying putting Ianto on the spot.

"Anything you're flexible enough to try," Jack quipped with a grin. The crowd laughed at his response along with Ianto's "pretty much" response.

"How about another example? Something that you can share with us all," the woman said leaning closer to Ianto. He looked helplessly at Jack, at a loss for what to say. Jack was obviously no help as he crossed his arms and cocked an eyebrow at the younger man. It was a direct challenge, and one that Ianto knew he had to respond to.

"Oh, all right, since you insist," Ianto said with a sigh. "Alien tech can be very handy."

"In what way?" The moderator prompted.

"Well, as you all know, we are responsible for whatever comes through the rift," Ianto explained. He saw people nodding as he stated the obvious, but they allowed him to continue. "It is our role to decipher what it does, if we can. As an Archivist, I need to be able to label such items for the sake of clarity. Sometimes the items that arrive are ones that Jack recognizes from his own travels through time. Others sometimes invite their own exploration. We have, well, Jack and I have, upon occasion, used these items. Purely for research purposes, you understand." There, he said it. He couldn't possibly get any redder than he was this moment. Gwen quickly excused herself and walked over to one of the honor guard, asking the way to the toilet. Obviously, this had been too much for her. She practically ran for the door, giggling madly and holding her stomach. Ianto rolled his eyes.

"Could you elaborate on what some of this alien tech does?" The moderator asked. Ianto was at a loss for words. He wasn't sure he'd be able to describe any of it discreetly enough. It was at that point that Jack finally took pity on him.

"Oh well, all sorts of things fall through the rift. Some from my time, or places I've been. And believe me, when you're in the 51st century, anything goes," he said with a grin and a wink. "Ian has been quite.... accommodating. And he has yet to use his safe word, so I'd say everything's going well in that department."

Ianto dropped his head into his hands, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him. He gave thanks for the small favor that Gwen was out of the room before hearing that choice tidbit. But Jack's comment had done the trick. The focus went back to him for the questions as he bantered with both the moderator and the crowd. Ianto slowly felt his face returning to normal, even as Gwen made her way back on stage and passed him, patting his back as she did so. He spared a glance for the monitor. They were slowly acquiring data on the rift fluctuations. Hopefully he could find a pattern which would get them back home....


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto found it very interesting that Jack had this seamless ability to sidestep the questions he didn't want to answer. They were all rather startled when someone referred to an episode entitled They Keep Killing Suzie. None of them really wanted to talk about the incident, and both Gwen and Ianto found it disturbing that the titles were very apropos to the events they were describing. It was like someone had authored every major event that had ever happened with Torchwood.

He was amused by the fact that Jack was put on the spot for some sort of captain's log he apparently had posted on a website. It was gratifying to see Jack get uncomfortable at several of the questions. One of his favorites was when one small little gal had asked Jack how he managed to break the stopwatch and what really happened during the 4 hours that the CCTV cameras were offline for maintenance.

"That's classified," Jack said, trying to discourage the girl from asking for any more information. Ianto chuckled, the sound carrying over the laughter of the crowd. Now that the focus was off of him exclusively, he could relax more and adjust to the ridiculous nature of what was happening to them.

"Ianto," the girl said, turning towards the younger man. "Can you perhaps tell us what happened?"

"Well," he drew out the word, considering his options. "One could say that Jack had an earth shattering, or in this case, watch shattering – experience." The crowd laughed in delight.

"You should know, you were the cause of it," Jack retorted while Gwen covered her ears and said she wasn't going to listen any further.

"Thank you for the complement in my abilities to –" at this point Ianto paused, searching for the right words, "rock your world, sir." In the last thirty minutes of the panel discussion, both he and Jack had eased into teasing banter with one another. Ianto had made the philosophical decision that they wouldn't be in this reality for very long, so it didn't really matter what he said.

"Oh, you have no idea how much you do, Ian," Jack said with a knowing grin. Gwen was shaking her head at the two of them. It was like two little boys trying to see which one could make the bigger mud pie, she thought to herself. It was lovely to see Ianto relaxed for the first time in what seemed like ages. And to be discussing what was obviously a rather energetic relationship (going back farther than she had ever dreamed was possible,) was something she never would have thought she would have witnessed.

"Okay everyone," the moderator said, raising her voice above the laughter. "We can have one more question for our panel before we wrap. Make it a good one!"

A teenage girl stood at the audience mic and smiled at the cast. "This question is for all three of you. If you could have one wish in this world that would come true, what would it be?" The crowd hushed expectantly, waiting for the three to answer.

"To be mortal again," Jack responded instantly. "I may have been able to do a lot of things than one person should have been able to do, but I think enough is enough. I'd like to be able to grow old and die with my loved ones." He was staring directly at Ianto as he said this last bit. A soft "awww" arose from the audience as they reacted to the note of despair in his voice. "Ianto?"

The younger man stared back, taken aback by Jack's sober response. "If I would have one wish, what would it be? To have the ability to actually grow old. This job doesn't lend itself to that, and I don't believe there's a retirement option currently available." His attempt to make a lighthearted comment failed miserably as his voice cracked slightly. Jack looked down, breaking their gaze and he shook himself. "Gwen?"

She sat for a moment staring out at the audience, her eyes shimmering with tears by her friends' responses. "To have Owen and Tosh back, alive and with us again. I miss them both so much." She looked down at her hands, unable to continue.

"Lovely," the woman moderator said, moved by their ability to stay in character with such raw emotions. "And one in which we may able to help you, in some small way. In fact, I was going to do this for the next panel, but the time seems appropriate to do it here. Although we are post season two here and the team has been broken, I think that we should re-unite the cast with their friends. Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome our lost cast members to the stage, Burn and Naoko!" The crowd erupted into cheers are two familiar figures approached from the back of the room.

"Dear God in heaven!"Gwen exclaimed as she looked up and saw Owen and Toshiko walking up the aisle. Jack moved over to hold her as she swayed, her face pale. Ianto supported her on the other side, just as shocked at their two friends being alive in this reality. Jack reached down and shut off Gwen's mic. Leaning forward, he whispered "It's not them. Not Tosh. And that's not Owen. Those are the people that in this world played them on the tv show."

"But they look so alive!" Gwen gasped, still in shock. Ianto intellectually understood what Jack was telling them, but emotionally he couldn't help but agree with Gwen. As Tosh – no, he corrected himself mentally, the woman who played Tosh reached the top of the stairs she looked at them expectantly. He couldn't help himself; he had to go to her.

Leaving Gwen and Jack behind him, he crossed the stage and swept her into his arms. The tiny Asian woman hugged him delightedly, laughing with merriment.

"Oh, you are so good Gaz," she said with a laugh. "I've been watching from the back and you haven't broken character once. This crowd is going to love this!" Ianto was too overwhelmed to say anything. Everything about her was identical to the Toshiko he remembered. He pulled back and cradled her face, looking at the beloved features of his friend.

Naoko smiled up at him, not noticing the way he avidly stared at her as he stroked the hair off of her face. She pulled him down for a kiss, determined to see him break character by giving him one hell of a snog.

Tears misted over his vision as they kissed. He pulled back to stare at her again. "Look at you – you look gorgeous!" He pulled her back into a hug, unable to say more.

Behind him the man who played Owen in this world stalked over to Gwen, pulled her to her feet and kissed her soundly. "Hello, Gwen – did you miss me?" He asked with a laugh. Gwen was speechless, her eyes looked huge on her face. Jack hovered nearby, ready to step between them.

"Hello Captain," the man drawled lazily saluting Jack. After a moment of hesitation Jack moved in to hug them both, giving Gwen time to recover and allowing himself a moment to pretend that this was indeed his Owen.

"How are you, honey?" Ianto asked the woman in his arms, unsure of how to address her. She was – and wasn't – the woman he remembered.

"Just grand, Gaz. Got a new gig lined up, so I'll be doing some stagework down in the West End," Naoko said, peering over to her fellow cast members. "Come on, I want to say hi to John and Eve." She pulled him over to the group still huddled on the stage. Burn was laughing.

"Christ, John, you are taking this all little too far, aren't you?" He pulled out of the hug and turned to look at the other couple. "All right, if that's the way you want to play it – let's all do this in character, shall we? Oi, Teaboy! Where's my coffee?"

Ianto felt like he was rooted to the stage. The man in front of him looked just like Owen. Even down to the annoying habits, it seemed. "I hate that term. You know that, don't you?"

"Yup, that's why I do it," not-Owen said with a grin, reaching over to clasp Ianto on the shoulder. "Good you see you, you git."

"I never thought I'd say it was good to see you as well," Ianto said. He looked at the Captain, who was now greeting Tosh – no, her name was Naoko, wasn't it? He looked out into the audience and saw that they were eating this reunion up as if it was food. He could hear some calling out with suggestions on what they should do. The moderator was listening as well and smiling widely, went to the microphone again.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, I just had the most marvelous idea. Since our group is insisting on staying in character, wouldn't it be lovely if we could ask them if they could do one last thing for us to close out this panel? Captain, Gwen, Ianto, this is your opportunity to say what you want to your fallen team mates. An opportunity to say the things you didn't have a chance to say at the end of Exit Wounds." The moderator stared expectantly at the group, waiting for their response.

Jack looked at his friends, eyes shining. Here was a chance to say goodbye, even if these people weren't really those he knew. They also served as a reminder that somewhere in some other alternate reality his Tosh and Owen were still alive, still with him, somewhere. He reached out and pulled the woman to face him.

"Tosh, I never said how much I appreciated you. Everything you've done for me, for the team. You are brilliant, you know that?" Jack said, his voice sounding deeper than usual with unexpressed emotion. The tiny woman smiled up at him, her head cocked to one side as she listened to him. "You are wonderful, and I'm so glad we had the time together that we did." He pulled her into a close hug, kissing the top of her head. His eyes closed as he felt her arms hug him tightly.

Burn looked at Ianto expectantly, his arms crossed as he waited to hear what the other man was going to say to him. Ianto was deeply moved by what the Captain had said. Would this be a chance to actually say goodbye? He didn't know, but it was worth the attempt. "Owen," he said walking up to the man in front of him. "I know we didn't always get along. We had our moments, didn't it? But I hope you realize that I appreciate everything you've done over the years. And that when it counted, you sacrificed yourself for others. You have a good heart, even if you didn't want to share it with the rest of us." He pulled Owen into a hug, feeling awkward but wanting to do it nonetheless. "I'm going to miss you."

"Awww, sweet." Owen said, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. "It doesn't mean I'm going to shag you, though." He could see Ianto rolling his eyes in response as they pulled apart.

"So typical," Ianto muttered. He turned to see Gwen hugging Tosh tightly. He could only see them as the people he remembered, not the people they were here in this reality.

Gwen was at a loss for words. She couldn't say anything, so she just held the other woman in her arms, tears streaming down her face. How she missed them both! The man playing Owen walked back over to them saying "Oi, what about me?" She pulled them into a three way hug.

"Gwen, do you have anything you would like to say to Tosh or Owen?" The moderator prompted, waiting to hear what she would say. She shook her head mutely, just giving each of them a kiss. Jack walked over to the moderator and covered the mic while he whispered to her. She nodded and smiled.

"We're going to take a short break while they set up for the next panel. Our guests have asked for a break, as staying in character for this has taken a lot out of them. We'll be starting the next panel with Burn, Naoko, Russell and Stephen soon."

"You lot are mad you know," Burn said with a laugh as they all separated. "Really Eve, the fans are going to eat this up. Ah, right, guess we have to get this started. We'll see you later in the green room, yeah?"

"Yeah," Jack said distractedly, intent on getting Gwen and Ianto off the stage. "You have fun." He saw a familiar face at the front of the stage and gestured to him. Lt Grange still had a cheesy grin on his face as he moved forward to where Jack could speak to him. "Lieutenant, could you lead us to our rooms to rest for a bit?"

"Certainly, Sir!" The young man said, saluting them. They left the stage to the applause of the audience, allowing the soldier to fend off requests for autographs and photos. Jack had his arm around Gwen protectively as he escorted her down the aisle, Ianto following closely behind. The man who had been sitting in the front row for their panel passed them, chortling "Absolutely Brilliant!" as he stepped onto the stage to the sound of applause.


	6. Chapter 6

They quickly made their way out of a side exit, heading down a utility corridor. The young man leading them pulled a walkie talkie out and radioed that they were going to use the freight elevator to get to their rooms.

"That was amazing, sir," he said as they walked the long corridor, dodging cleaning carts and supplies stacked along the hallway.

"That's one way of putting it," Ianto said diplomatically. He felt like his head was spinning from the events of the past few hours.

The freight elevator left them off on the top floor. There were some other people milling about as they entered back into the hotel corridors. "This way," the soldier said, leading the way down the corridor.

"Um, Lieutenant," Jack said as they walked. "What's your first name?"

"Charles, sir," the young man responded.

"Good, Charles. Do you have keys for us? I don't think we were given them when we arrived." Jack said as they reached a set of doors at the end of one hallway.

"No problem, I'll just get security to let you in," Charles said, using his radio to hail security. They waited in the hallway, Jack with a look of concern at Gwen. While she had stopped crying, she was still a bit shocky, and he wanted to get somewhere private where the three of them could talk. After a short wait, a security guard came up and let them into their hotel room, giving them spare keys before he left.

"Thank you, Charles. I'm sure you'll understand that we're a bit tired and need to take a break," Jack said as he let Ianto pull Gwen into the room and blocked the entrance with his own body so the young man couldn't pass.

"Oh, yeah. No problem. Listen, if you need anything, call 1040 and ask for me. That's the number for ops and they'll come and get me." Charles saluted as he turned and walked away. Jack closed the door and locked it before turning around and looking at his team. Gwen was sitting on a settee staring into space. Ianto was checking out the room, nodding to Jack as he came back into the living room.

"We're alone. It looks like this is a suite, with several rooms off of this one," Ianto said as he walked over to the tiny kitchenette area. "Instant coffee. Ugh. Not my choice. But I could make us all a cup of tea," he suggested, holding up a cup. Jack nodded and walked over to sit next to Gwen.

"Are you all right?" He asked, looking with concern at her. She nodded, still feeling overwhelmed by the events of the past few hours. The sound of Ianto puttering about making tea had a calming effect on her. It was one of the few things that felt normal for her.

"Jack, are we ever going to make it back home?" She asked.

"Yeah, of course we are," he responded. "Ianto's been monitoring the spikes the whole time. Hopefully we can get enough data to find out where the next big opening is going to be. Then all we have to do is get there and step through."

"But will we actually go back home, or will be stuck in yet a different reality?" Gwen asked, the fear evident in her voice. "Jack, we have to get home. I need to see Rhys." She closed her eyes as he enveloped her in a hug.

"We will, Gwen. We will," Jack assured her. He pulled back as Ianto brought over their tea and set it on the coffee table in front of them. He got a third cup for himself and sat in an armchair facing them. "Ianto, what do you have for us?"

"Well sir," Ianto said after taking a sip of his tea before putting it down. "I've had the rift monitor capturing everything since we arrived here. There have been several large spikes in the past several hours, all with different intensities and frequencies." He pulled the monitor out of his pocket and began tapping it. "The good thing is that it was on when we went through the rift, so I was able to capture that exact frequency signature. All we'll have to do is find one that matches it and we should be able to go back home. Another good thing is that they all seem to be focused in a small radius – about the size of this hotel complex, I would imagine. So we just have to get to the right place when it happens. Shouldn't be too difficult."

"How long do they seem to be lasting, Ianto? What sort of time frame are we going to have?" Jack asked, sipping at the hot tea. He normally preferred coffee, but was grateful for the hot liquid all the same. It also was having a calming effect on Gwen, which was good.

"The good news is that the effects seem to be lingering when they happen. If you think about, when we had the first alarm back in the hub, it took us a few minutes to pack up before heading out, then to make our way over to Llanishen. So the cloud was there for some time before we went through it. I think if we can find a similar signature, we can get there and through with no problem." Ianto looked up from the monitor at his partners. "We will be able to get back, Gwen. We just have to be patient."


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay," Jack said, getting up and pacing. "What do we know? We know that we're in an alternate reality were our lives are the stuff of fiction. "

"How bizarre is that thought," Gwen mused. "I know what I know, and that these things in our lives happened. But those people were speaking as if it was all part of something in a script. They know things they possibly couldn't! Things I've never told anyone."

"Same here," Ianto said, glancing at Jack. The past few hours had been one of revelations for them all. Gwen knew far more than he ever thought she would about his relationship with Jack. He was feeling a bit uncomfortable with it, but there was nothing that he could do about it at the moment, other than ignore it. "It was very uncanny. What was really strange is that they had all the major events that had happened to us as if they were episodes for their viewing entertainment. Not sure how comfortable I am with that thought." He continued to watch Jack pace back and forth along the carpet.

"Ian, how often are those spikes happening?" He asked stopping to look at the younger man in front of him. "How long will we be here?"

"They're sporadic," Ianto said, looking down at the monitor in his lap. "There have been several spikes that are close to the same signature, but not exact. I'll know more as data keeps on coming in, but I would suspect we're going to be here for several more hours at the earliest, perhaps another day or two at most."

"And while we're here, people will be thinking we're actors. And we'll probably have to come back to their convention if we're going to be stuck here for a bit. They're not going to let us hole up here while we wait for the right spike to show up," Jack mused. "We'll have to come up with a game plan to keep us together, as well as to respond as they are expecting us. Have either of you ever been to a convention before?" Both Gwen and Ianto shook their heads. "Me neither. Not sure how I managed to miss that before. Probably a lot of alien tech shows up at these things, if you think about it. Hmm, well, never mind that. We're going to have to pretend, at least for a few hours."

"Jack, I don't know if I can," Gwen responded. "Seeing Tosh and Owen like that…."

"Yeah, that was strange," Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, at least we're prepared if we see them again. Nothing can be the shock of the first time that sort of thing happening. "

Ianto picked up the discarded cups and put them back in the kitchen area. "So what do we do next? Do we go back into the convention? Stay here?"

"We stick together, whatever we do." Jack said. He looked down at a stack of fliers on the table in front of him. Picking them up, he saw that they were advertisements for the convention, along with a program guide for attendees. He flipped through it, reading bits and pieces here and there. Something fell out and Ianto stooped down to pick it up.

"This says it's a pocket guide." He said, glancing through the list. "Apparently this is a list of guest panels. See, here's the one we were on already, followed by the one that Tosh, erm, Naoko and Burn was it? Yeah that's what he's called here were doing."

"Where does it have us next?" Jack asked, curious. "What did they call us on stage there?"

"Burn referred to you as John," Ianto said, thinking back to the blur of the conversation on stage. "And Gwen, he called you Eve. Tosh – Naoko called me Gaz. " He took the book from Jack and flipped through it. "Ah, here we go. Jack, in this reality you are a theatre and tv star called John Barrowman. Well, at least they got the first name right. Gwen, you're known as Eve Myles." He flipped through a few more pages before finding the biography for himself. "And my name is Gareth. Hmmm, nice photo there."

"This is all so odd," Gwen mused, shaking her head. "I don't think I could ever have imagined this in a million years."

"Yeah, kind of strange when you think of some of the things we've seen. This has to take the cake," Jack said with a grin. He rested his chin on Ianto's shoulder as he looked over it to the program guide in his hands. "You're right, that is a nice picture of you." They were all startled by the telephone ringing. With a shrug, Ianto moved over and picked it up.

"Hello? Yes, that's right. Oh? Hold on a moment," Ianto said, covering the phone with his hand as he turned to look at Jack. "Apparently our presence is requested downstairs. The cast is supposed to be judging the art show and handing out awards."

"Art Show?" Jack asked, an amused expression on his face. "What that where we started when we arrived here?"

"Yes, that's right," Ianto confirmed, remembering seeing the sign on the door as they left. "It may be good to get back there, as I might be able to check for more readings."

"Okay, tell them we'll meet them downstairs, then." Jack said. Ianto confirmed that they would be down in the lobby soon before ringing off. "Anything's better than staying cooped up, I think. Gwen, are you going to be okay with this?"

"I think so," she said as she stood up. "And I think I'd feel more comfortable being closer to where we came in. Maybe we can hope that we can get out that way as well." She excused herself as she went to freshen up in the bathroom before heading out. Ianto was still flipping through the program guide with an amused expression on his face. When Gwen returned, they were ready to go.


	8. Chapter 8

Once they reached the lobby they met two young women wearing costumes. Ianto wasn't sure what the costumes were supposed to represent, but they were certainly showing a lot of skin. He shook his head as Jack flirted with them. Really, the man was incorrigible. They made their way through the hallways until we arrived back at the entrance to the art show. This time the doors were wide open, welcoming visitors.

A tiny woman walked up to them. "Thank you for coming. Here are your packets. Each of you has a ribbon that you can bestow upon your favorite piece of artwork. You also can also jointly pick several categories for winners – Best of Show, Best Amateur Artwork, Best Professional Artwork, and so on. There is also a reception to meet the cast, so people will be milling over there. There's food and an open bar, so please enjoy yourselves."

They found themselves alone as she fluttered off, heading in the direction of the reception area. Jack looked at the stuff in his hands. Ianto flipped through the notes, deftly catching a ribbon that was slipping out of his packet. "I guess we walk around and look at the artwork."

"Let's do it," Jack said. He was enjoying himself in a strange way. It made for a nice change in having hunt something down before it stopped the end of the world. Knowing that his reality was fiction in this place brought a sense of relaxation to him. They started at one end of the room and walked down the aisle, looking at the art that was hung up on each wall. There was everything from cartoon drawings to oil paintings. All had a Torchwood theme of some sort. Gwen stood at one panel giggling to herself, so Jack walked over to see what was so funny.

It was a cartoon drawing of the Torchwood team, each one with a balloon thought bubble above their heads. He could see that one of them was supposed to Tosh, sitting at her computer and muttering something about Owen. Sitting on the hub sofa was Owen with his head in hand, moaning about being hung over. Gwen could be seen hanging up photos on a wall, complaining that no one ever thought about the victims. What she was laughing about was that the cartoon Jack had Ianto up against the coffee machine with a thought balloon about frothing Ianto's cappuccino. Ianto's balloon only held an exclamation point.

"Obviously some things stay the same!" She said with a laugh. "Really, Jack. Can't you ever behave yourself?"

"Apparently not," Ianto said, shaking his head at the drawing. He moved along, taking in all the different types of drawings. Some of these had really captured the essence of Torchwood. It was strange to think that their lives were so open to these people. He stopped at one large oil painting that showed himself in Jack's embrace, the stopwatch falling out of his hand while Jack kissed him.

"Oh, I like that one," he heard Jack say from behind him. "It even looks like us."

"Eerie, isn't it?" Ianto mused, turning away from the painting. The expression on his face in the painting reflected the passion he felt when Jack kissed him. He was uncomfortable with the idea of being that open to everyone. Jack was smiling at him, one eyebrow raised suggestively.

Ianto moved down the row, looking at each piece of artwork as they made their way up one and then down another aisle. A lot of the artwork was filled with innuendo, some of it downright pornographic, and others just plain silly. The imagination of their fans obviously had a lot of fuel to work with, he thought ruefully. He stopped in front of one labeled Torchwood wedding. It was a family portrait from Gwen's wedding, including the bits of Nostrovite on their clothing.

"Oh, I want that one," Gwen said as she took in the painting. "Course I couldn't show it to anyone but Rhys." She took her ribbon and attached it to the frame. "There. That's my favorite."

"It certainly captured the essence of that day, didn't it?" Ianto mused, taking in the tired, but happy expressions of everyone in the painting.

"What do you think of this one?" They turned as Jack called over from the next panel where he was looking at another wedding picture. But it wasn't Gwen and Rhys' but his own and Ianto's. The title was "The Next Torchwood Wedding." Ianto moved to look at it closely. He was wearing a morning outfit, as was Jack. They were holding hands as Rhys and Gwen stood on either side of them. "The future, maybe?"

"Is that a proposal, sir?" Ianto asked him with a small smile. It was his turn to give Jack a suggestive look. Jack opened his mouth to respond when they were interrupted by their hostess.

"Only a few more moments to vote before we give out the awards and start the reception," she said. "Please make your way to the front."

Ianto put his ribbon on the painting behind Jack. "I like this one." He brushed his hand against Jack's as he moved back. "We should get going."

"Mmmm," Jack said speculatively as he added his own ribbon to another painting that showed the Torchwood team in the hub. They quickly put their heads together and made their votes in the categories listed on the paper for the awards before making their way to the reception area.


	9. Chapter 9

The reception was held in the midst of all the artwork from the show. A bar had been set up, and they could already see a good sized crowd there waiting for them. The man that they had seen sitting in the front row of their panel bounded up to them.

"That was marvelous, simply marvelous! This is a lot of fun, isn't it?" Ianto thought he looked like a little boy, he was bouncing on his feet and grinning at them. Owen – no, Ianto mentally corrected himself, Burn made his way over to them with a glass in his hand.

"You're loving this, aren't you, Russell?" He drawled, shaking his head at the group. "Drink up, everyone, because the grog is free." He led the way over to the bar where they ordered some drinks. Ianto was surprised to see the Jack ordered alcohol. Usually he abstained.

Ianto took a sip of his wine as he smiled at various people who came up to him, either giving him compliments on his work as an actor, or to chat about something to do with the show. He kept an eye on the other two, not wanting to be separated too far. Naoko came up to stand next to him and he smiled at her. It was so surreal to see her here, alive in this timeline. He wished it really were Tosh, there was so much he wanted to say to her. They posed for a photo as a photographer came around, taking pictures to commemorate the party.

"Sorry I missed your gig last week," Naoko said as the photographer moved on. "I really thought I was going to get there, but something came up."

Ianto didn't have a clue as to what she was referring to. "Not a problem. Maybe next time."

"Yeah, just let me know when you're playing next, and I'll promise I'll try to get there. I love your band," she said with a smile.

"Let's get all the cast together for a group photo," the hostess said, ushering them to one corner of the room. They all stood together, Jack taking the opportunity to put an arm around both Ianto and Gwen as they stood at the center of the photo. "Everyone smile!"

Multiple flashes went off as people took their pictures. Once they were finished, the group broke up again into ones and twos, chatting again as they awaited the awards. Ianto took the opportunity to check the rift monitor. While it showed some activity, there was nothing definitive that they could use. It seemed that they would be here a while longer.

They stood off to the side while the committee chair handed out the awards. People were milling about, looking at the artwork and mingling with one another. Jack was very amused to see a cake shaped like a TARDIS on the table. Many of the fans were flirting with him, and he was responding in kind. Ianto shook his head. Some things obviously didn't change, no matter what the reality.

By the time the party was winding down, it was getting late. There was apparently a late night showing of one of their episodes, but none of them had the desire to watch. They were able to escape the art room out a side door and made their way back through the lobby and up to their rooms. Ianto had his key out to the suite by the time the elevator stopped on their floor and they were able to go inside and be alone once again.

"So what do we do now?" Gwen asked sitting with a sigh. "I take it we're stuck here for the night?"

"Pretty much," Ianto confirmed, looking at the monitor again. "Things have been very quiet on the rift front this evening. It may be that we may have to wait until the time corresponds to late afternoon, which is when we arrived here. That is assuming that an opening happens at the right time."

"We'll deal with that as it comes, kids." Jack said, walking around the room and peering in each of the doorways. "I wonder if we're all sharing this space?"

"No, Naoko told me she was down the hall," Ianto said. "I guess the convention committee thought it amusing enough to get you and I the honeymoon suite." Jack laughed out loud at Ianto's comment. "Gwen has a room next door."

"I don't want her by herself," Jack said. He was still concerned with them being separated. "Will you go over there with her and see if there's anything she can wear to bed? I want to keep us together."

"Certainly, sir." Ianto responded. "Gwen, would you like to come with me, or should I just pop over and get something for you?"

"No, I'll go. No sense in having you go through all my smalls without me there," she said with a smile. "Though they're not really mine, are they? Jack, where did the people from this timeline go? Are they back in our reality?"

"Good question. I hadn't thought about it." Jack mused as he sat on the sofa. "We did hear a cry before we went through the rift. Maybe it was your other self?"

"God help them if they really run into something, then," Gwen said. Ianto held the door open for her and she followed him out into the hall. "Can you imagine?"

"Best not to," Ianto replied. He went down the hall to the next door and pulled out another keycard. Opening the door, he stepped in first to look around before motioning to Gwen. "It's empty."

"So, what would I wear in this world?" Gwen mused, opening the closet door and peeking inside. There were several shirts and trousers hanging from the rack. She grabbed several of them to take with her for the next day. Then she moved over to the dresser, opening up the drawers and peering inside. "This feels so weird." Finding a change of underwear, she also grabbed some yoga pants and a t-shirt. "This should do for me."

"All set, then?" Ianto asked. At her nod, he opened the door and followed her back into the hallway. Far off in the distance they could hear music playing and people shouting. It was a good thing they were on their floor, it sounded like conventions tended to have a lot of rowdy people at them.

When they entered the suite, Jack was nowhere to be found. "Jack?" Ianto called out.

"In here," came a muffled reply. Ianto and Gwen made their way through the door and into the master bedroom. Jack was sprawled on the bed his arms pillowed behind his head. "This is big enough for the whole convention!"

"Don't even consider it," Ianto said as he opened the closet door and moved some clothes aside to make room for Gwen's. He then hung up her clothes, motioning for her to use one of the dresser drawers that were empty. He went about the room, looking at the contents of the drawers and closets. There was a second bedroom off the suite, and there he found more clothes. They looked to fit him, so he assumed this is where his alter ego had been staying. He found a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and changed into them before returning back to the bedroom.

Gwen was on the bed with Jack having changed into her nightclothes as well. Ianto felt a bit awkward seeing them there together like that. "Well, erm, I'll just stay in the other room for the night."

"Ianto, come over here," Jack said, gesturing for him to come back into the room. "I want to keep us all together. We have no idea what might happen, so the closer we stick together, the better." He patted the bed on the other side of him. "There's plenty of room."

"Are you going to bed dressed like that," Ianto asked . Jack was still fully dressed, though he had kicked his boots off while they had been in the other room. He looked in one of the drawers and pulled out something appropriate for the captain to wear. Jack groaned as he got off the bed.

"I was comfortable!" He complained, taking the pants and walking towards the bathroom. Ianto shook his head as he heard Jack mumble as he got ready. He put the rift monitor on the nightstand and set it to alert them if a spike with the correct signature appeared during the night. By the time he had done that and gone out to the main room to turn off the lights, Jack was back in the bed with Gwen.

"Ianto, stop dawdling." Jack said as Ianto hesitated in the doorway. The only light that was on was the one by the night stand. Gwen was curled up next to Jack, his arm circling her shoulders. "Come to bed."

Ianto awkwardly made his way over to the other side of the bed. Jack was looking at him with a grin on his face. Cheeky bastard, Ianto thought to himself as he sat down on the edge and turned off the light. Jack held the covers up for him as he slipped between the sheets. He laid on his back, allowing his eyes to get used to the dark. A moment later he felt Jack stroking his hair.

"C'mere you," Jack said, moving his arm around Ianto's shoulders and pulling him closer. Ianto rolled onto his side, breathing in Jack's scent. "Here we are in the honeymoon suite. What better place to have a threesome?"

Gwen giggled. "Sorry, I'm married."

"Ah, but are you in this reality? Would it be cheating if you're not married to Rhys here?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"Shame on you, Jack" Gwen shushed him. "Of course it would be."

"You're impossible, do you know that?" Ianto said softly. He felt Jack's hand rubbing his back and pulling him closer. He gave in, resting his cheek on Jack's shoulder. "Here we are, stuck in an alternate reality and all you can think of is sex."

"You say that like there's something wrong with the idea," Jack murmured. He felt Gwen laughing and pulled her close as well. "You two are no fun."

"Stop pouting," Ianto said. "Time for sleep. I've got the monitor set to warn us should anything happen overnight. So we can rest easy tonight."

"You know, this has been nice in a strange sort of way," Jack mused. "No monsters to chase, no one getting killed. Peaceful, though a bit wacky. I've almost forgot what it was like not to have to worry about the alarm going off."

"Yeah, I'll give you that," Ianto said. "I think Gwen is asleep."

"Yeah, she's worn out, poor chick." Jack said. He stroked her hair and hugged her close. It was probably as close as they'd ever get to one another. "I think today took a lot out of her."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Ianto said softly. "I think seeing Burn and Naoko was quite a shock for her. For all of us, really."

"Yeah. Still, I kinda hope that what we said could filter to our Tosh and Owen, wherever they are. " Jack said. "We never really got to say goodbye to them."

"No, we didn't," Ianto agreed. He raised himself up on one elbow and leaned over to give Jack a kiss. "I'm glad we got to do it as well. Goodnight, Jack." He snuggled up to Jack as he lowered himself back down. Jack tightened his arm around Ianto, holding him close.

"Goodnight, Ianto. Sleep well." As the thoughts stopped whirling about in Ianto's head he felt himself drifting off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

When Ianto returned to consciousness, it was to find himself wrapped in Jack's embrace. Sometime during the night they had moved into one another's arms, hugging each other. He was surprised to see that Jack was still asleep. He usually didn't sleep very long at all, so for Ianto to wake up before him was unusual.

"Good morning," He heard Gwen say softly. He raised his head off of Jack's chest to see her curled up in a chair with a cup in her hands.

"Is that coffee I smell?" He asked, sleepily. She nodded. Hmmm, coffee sounded good at the moment. He carefully extricated himself from Jack, not wanting to wake him as long as he could sleep. Jack rolled onto his back as Ianto got up, snoring lightly. "Where did that come from?"

"I called room service. Breakfast is waiting," Gwen said with a smile. Ianto brushed his hair back, knowing it was probably standing up on end from sleeping. He followed her out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind them.

"Mmm, something smells good," Ianto said. He sat down on the sofa and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Oh, that's good. Did you sleep well?" He savored the smell that drifted up out of the cup, the dark roast smelled heavenly.

"I did, thank you." Gwen said lifting a cover to reveal a variety of breakfast items. "What a difference sunlight makes." She selected some rashers and eggs and put them on a plate. "Help yourself."

"Don't mind if I do," Ianto said. "This all looks good." He helped himself to some eggs and toast, grabbing a fork and digging in. "So how long did you sit there watching us?"

"Not too long. Perhaps just half an hour or so," Gwen said with a smile. "Ianto, I never knew how close you two have been. I'm sorry that you had to share so much that should have remained private between the two of you." She knew that he was a shy individual, and having those questions asked of him last night must have been hard.

"No matter," Ianto said, glancing down at his plate. "It's not like you yourself haven't seen us in compromising positions in the past." He smiled wryly as he glanced back up at her.

"But still, it's not something I would have chosen to tell an audience," she said. "You really love him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," he said. "He's easy to love." He went back to eating his breakfast, at a loss for what else to say. Never could he ever imagined the conversation that they were having. It was strange, but he didn't feel awkward about it anymore. He and Gwen had been through a lot together. While he would have rathered she not find out about some of the things he and Jack had been up to, the fact that she didn't make any judgment about them was nice. They heard a toilet flushing nearby. "Knew he wouldn't sleep much longer."

Gwen poured a cup of coffee and had it ready when Jack opened the door and padded in with bare feet into the living room. "Good morning."

"Mmm, morning," Jack said sleepily, taking the mug from her. "I thought I was dreaming when I smelled coffee. You are a life saver." He leaned down to give her a kiss on the head. "Thank you."

"There's breakfast as well," Ianto said, indicating the covered trays on the table. "Help yourself."

Jack picked up a plate and piled food on it, sitting down next to Ianto. "Oh, this will be good start, then afters with a side of Ianto." Ianto rolled his eyes at Jack's quip. "No?" Jack pouted.

"No," Ianto said. "Behave yourself, even if it hurts." He shook his head at Jack's antics.

"What time is it, and what time will they be expecting to see us?" Jack said as he ate. Ianto opened up the program guide and flipped through it.

"Not for another hour, at the very least. Apparently there is a panel discussing the different aliens. We're a part of that, as well as some of the writers that we met last night. Then there's some sort of play that we have to watch that the fans are doing. That will probably be interesting. After that, there's a couple of different things going on. Hmmm, what's this?" He flipped the page to the panel descriptions. "Oh, I think I want to go to this one."

"What's that?" Jack asked, trying to peer over his arm at the pamphlet.

"A panel called the Lives and Loves of Captain Jack." Ianto looked up with a twinkle in his eye. "I can only imagine." Gwen giggled. "That one could last all night."

"Hey, I'm not all that bad," Jack protested, finishing his plate and putting it down. He poured some more coffee. "I don't know where you get these ideas."

"Hmmm, let's see – you flirted with at least a dozen people last night, and that was only in the walk from the elevators to the art show." Ianto said, holding his cup out for more coffee. Jack poured some coffee into his cup before setting the pot down on the table. "Lord knows what might have happened had we not been there with you."

"Hey, I was only trying to be friendly!" Jack said with a pout. "Jealous?"

"Nope," Ianto said, drinking his coffee. He didn't respond when Jack called him a liar.

"Okay, enough fun," Gwen said as she got up and stretched. "I'm off to my room to take a shower and get dressed. They'll probably be calling us soon." She went into the bedroom, grabbed her clothes and took the key off the side table. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Are you going to be okay on your own?" Ianto asked with concern. She nodded and then gave him a wink as she passed behind Jack. Clearly she was giving them some time to be alone.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I realized I didn't take any toiletries when I was over there, so I'll need my make up, or whatever this woman brought with her. Don't mind me, I'll be a while." She glanced meaningfully at the bedroom door to him as she let herself out.

"Well that wasn't very subtle," Jack said as he relaxed into the back of the sofa and pulled Ianto with him. Ianto laughed as he agreed. Gwen's idea of subtle was similar to a lorry smashing a brick wall. "But I wouldn't mind taking advantage of her offer for privacy." He kissed Ianto's neck, nibbling along the edge of his shirt collar.

"We don't really have much time," Ianto said. He always found his thoughts got cloudy once Jack's pheromones kicked in.

"Time enough for a shower, I think," Jack said. He stood up and pulled Ianto to him off the sofa. "C'mon. time's a wasting. If we hurry, we'll have plenty of time to get ready." Slowly he coaxed Ianto to follow him. He closed the bedroom door before tugging Ianto by the hand into the bathroom…..


	11. Chapter 11

By the time Gwen came back to the suite they were showered and dressed. Ianto had rummaged through the closet to find a nice set of dress pants and a shirt. At least his other self had good taste. Jack had a pair of jeans and a rugby shirt on. It was different, but seemed to suit him.

"All set?" Gwen asked as she came into the room. Ianto had cleaned up their breakfast and had placed it all outside the suite on a tray. They were probably the neatest guests that the housekeeping staff would ever deal with, she thought with a smile.

"Yup, though I'm taking my coat. I'm not leaving that behind to be stuck in a glass case," Jack said, grabbing his greatcoat and slinging it over his arm.

"That would be a shame, sir." Ianto said as he picked up the pocket guide and put it in a pocket. He followed that with the rift monitor in another pocket. "I do love that coat."

"No readings?" Jack asked, nodding to the monitor.

"Nothing worth mentioning. I'm hoping that my supposition is correct that it will pick up later in the day. At least, we can hope it will," Ianto responded. He didn't want to let them know he was worried. If anything, the spikes had drifted down to nothing. He hoped it was just a pause, and that it would pick up again soon. He didn't think he could face a lifetime here, pretending to be a telly star.

"Shall we head down and see what's going on? I think I want to check out that dealer's room. See if there is anything interesting there," Jack said as he opened the door and motioned for them to precede him out of the room.

They headed down the elevator to the mezzanine, where a lot of the convention events were being held. They smiled at people as they walked along, occasionally being stopped by someone asking for an autograph or a photo. Ianto deliberately smeared what he was writing so no one could make out what he was writing. He didn't want to sign it as himself, and wasn't sure what his alt's full name was, since he had only glanced at it once in the program guide.

They found the dealer's room and walked around it. Gwen was very amused that they had their own action figurines. She played with hers at a booth for a bit before the dealer just gave it to her to keep. She leaned in to give the man a hug in thanks and left him with a broad grin on his face.

"Can I get a little Ianto to play with?" Jack murmured in Ianto's ear as they walked along behind her.

"Would you really want one, sir, when you can have the original model?" Ianto asked with a smile. He could only imagine what kind of trouble Jack could get into if left on his own in this place. Occasionally as they walked from booth to booth he checked the monitor, searching it for any sort of activity. It had been quiet since last night, and he was concerned it wasn't going to pick back up.

One of the ubiquitous UNIT security personnel came up to them to inform them of their next panel. They followed her willingly through the corridors until they got to a long room that was filled with chairs. People were crammed into every nook and cranny of the room, and they had to step over several people as they made their way to the table at the front.

"Great, now that everyone's here, let's get started," the moderator said. He introduced each of the panel, identifying the producer and writers, as well as the cast members who were on the panel. He then went to describe the format of the discussion, allowing any of the members of the panel to talk about their favorite alien before opening it up to the floor for questions. Ianto was relieved that they started at the other end of the table.

Russell was the first to speak, giving his ideas for what sorts of monsters he had envisioned when he first invented the program. It then moved over to the writers, each whom spoke about various creatures that they had created for each episode.

"Now we move onto the cast. What was your favorite monster to deal with?" The moderator asked.

Ianto was next to him at the panel. "Well, it's hard to have a favorite when they're trying to kill you, isn't it?" He asked as the crowd laughed. "But if I had to list one, it would be our pterodactyl. After all, if not for Myfanwy, I wouldn't be here with you today."

"Gareth, you bring up a good point," the moderator said. "Let's amend the question to be which is the worst alien or monster you have ever dealt with, and that you would never want to see again?"

"Abaddon," Ianto said without hesitation. "I can't think of anything more foul than that creature."

"Eve, what about you?" The moderator asked. "Surely the Nostrovite would be high on your list."

"Yes, it certainly ruined my wedding, didn't it?" Gwen said with a laugh. "I can laugh about it now, since it all turned out all right in the end. A shame that no one will be able to remember any of it, though. Do you know how hard it was to explain that one to our families?" The crowd laughed with delight at her response.

"And John, what was the worst monster that you ran into?" Everyone turned to look at Jack who was looking down at his hands.

"Man," he said. "I can't think of anyone in or outside of this universe who would do what some men have done."

"You are speaking about the cannibals from Countrycide, then?" The moderator asked.

"Yes," Jack replied grimly.

"Okay, let's go onto the alien tech that we see. We know that Torchwood Three has a far different philosophy from Torchwood One in that you lock up the alien tech rather than try to use it," the moderator said. "Don't you think that it would be better to do a controlled release to benefit the human race?"

"No," Jack immediately responded. "Torchwood One showed that it's too dangerous. Look what happened to them." Ianto looked down at the table, images flashing through his mind of Canary Wharf. He agreed with Jack. Never again.

This turned into a lively discussion with the writers over the morality of using the alien tech. Gwen and Ianto kept quiet, not wanting to get into the debate. Several of the audience had longwinded opinions about how it could better the world and that it was criminal to withhold it from people. Ianto could feel Jack getting angry, and he unobtrusively put his hand on Jack's leg. Jack nodded distractedly as he squeezed. In this reality it was just a theoretical discussion. It was hard to step back from that, knowing what they did.

Eventually the panel ended, and they went out to the hallway, the conversation spilling over as people continued the debate. Jack paced down the corridor, followed by Ianto and Gwen. He wanted to get away from those nut jobs. They didn't understand.


	12. Chapter 12

They were escorted to another panel which was on the same floor. Ianto glanced at the sign near the door and grinned. "Oh, good!"

"What?" Gwen asked as she looked around curiously.

"This is that panel I wanted to go to. Good thing we don't have to be on it," Ianto said, gesturing off to the side where there were a couple of seats still open. The UNIT escort motioned for Jack to go to the head of the room, where there was a single chair. She came back to where Ianto and Gwen were sitting.

"You're next commitment isn't for a couple of hours. I can take you to the green room if you'd like," she offered.

"Oh no," Ianto responded with a grin. "We'll stay here. I wouldn't miss this panel for the world." He sat back and crossed his arms, waiting for it to begin.

"All right, let's get started," a man said, tapping a water glass with a spoon to get the crowd to settle down. "Today's panel is on the lives and loves of Captain Jack. Captain, I'm sure you have many stories to tell us." He turned expectantly to look at Jack who was seated at the front of the room with a microphone in front of him. "We saw in Fragments that you have been on earth for many years. There were probably many deaths as well, and many romances. Please talk to us about which were your favorites over the years."

"Well, I honestly can't say that I've had a favorite death, to be honest." Jack said ruefully. "It's not a fun experience. Imagine having a bullet or a sword pass through you. The pain is intense. You can feel your life draining out of you slowly, your heartbeat slowing to match the dripping of your blood from your body. Then – you stop. From nothing, there is a big gasp as your body starts up again. I often feel like I can't get any air at that moment. It can be quite painful."

"Do you regret being immortal?" The moderator asked.

"Sometimes," Jack admitted. "There are days I am so tired that I wish it would all end. Others," and at this he glanced at Ianto and Gwen. "Others where I am so glad I can come back to those I love."

"Some fans have tried to estimate the number of times you've died over the years. It's a daunting task," the moderator said as the crowd laughed. "If you had to give an estimate, how many times would you say you've died?"

"Too many," Jack said. "I don't like to count them."

"Okay, what about something happier?" The moderator said, switching subjects. "In that same time you've had the opportunity for a lot of love. Certainly that would be a more enjoyable experience."

Jack quirked an eyebrow as the crowd laughed. "Well, to quote Ianto from last night, a gentleman should never kiss and tell." He looked over to Ianto who had a big grin on his face. He looked like he was enjoying watching Jack in the hotspot as the crowd grilled him about particular episodes. The moderator opened the room to questions and people were asking for all sorts of details about each of the episodes.

"Do you really flirt with everyone you see?" One woman asked.

"Flirting is harmless," Jack said. "And it makes life so much more fun." He could see Ianto rolling his eyes at his response and he grinned.

"In Meat, you were flirting with Rhys' secretary," the woman persisted. Gwen gasped as she heard the question, her eyes huge in her face. "She didn't seem to be your type at all."

"Honey, everyone is my type," Jack drawled with a wink. "And everyone has qualities that make them unique. I like to explore all the variations that men, women and others have to offer." His comment got them off on a tangent about the various aliens he had known. The crowd was roaring with laughter over some of his comments. Many of his encounters obviously weren't shown, so people egged him on to tell more stories. Ianto shook his head. He knew that Jack was probably telling them actual stories, but they thought of it as fiction.

"What about Ianto?" One girl asked from the back of the room.

"What about him?" Jack asked, glancing over to the side of the room. He was relieved to see that Ianto didn't seem too upset at his stories. If anything, he seemed to be rather amused by it all. They shared a glance before Jack looked back at the woman.

"Is Ianto the love of your life?" She asked boldly.

"Absolutely," Jack said. "Ianto is the reason why I fight my way back, time and again. He makes it all worth it." The crowd gave a long awwww in response to his comment. Jack glanced over at Ianto who was looking down at his hands. He could see that the younger man was blushing. "Of course, Gwen is special to me too, but not in the same way. We have an understanding with one another. And she is important as well. I love them both."

Gwen smiled at him, moved at his comment. She always knew that there would be this unrequited passion between them. Loving Jack was like standing in front of a roaring fire. It could consume you in a heartbeat and leave you behind. She had come to terms with her longings for Jack some time ago.

"And what about the original Captain Jack?" Someone asked from the back of the audience.

"What about him?" Jack was wary about this question. He really didn't want to talk about the captain to this crowd.

"Did you love him?"

"I only knew him for a day," Jack said, looking down at his hands. "It was war time, and I knew he was going to die the next day. I wanted to give him some comfort. I hope I succeeded. Next question?"

"Would you ever like to shag The Doctor?" A guy asked from the back row.

"Who wouldn't?" Jack laughed. "Unfortunately, I don't think it will ever happen. The Doctor doesn't think in those terms." The questions went on to more silly suggestions, with Jack making quips about each race as they were mentioned. By the time they wrapped up their escort was back to take them to their next commitment.


	13. Chapter 13

"Really Jack, do you have no shame?" Gwen asked as they left the room and followed Lt Charles down the hallway. She didn't know how much to believe, but if even a small portion of what he said was true, then he had had sex with more races than she cared to count. She considered warning Ianto about getting tested, since Lord knows what kind of germs Jack might be passing along.

"Really, Gwen," Jack mocked at he followed their guide down the corridor. "You people with your quaint 21st century morals. As long as two beings consent, what does it matter?" He glanced at Ianto who seemed to be unperturbed by his revelations of the past hour. In fact, there had been several points where he had looked rather intrigued. Jack wanted to explore that with him further at some point. "How's the rift?" He asked softly, not wanting their guide to overhear him.

"Still relatively quiet," Ianto said. "I'm hopeful it will start to pick up soon." Jack nodded. He had a feeling that Ianto wasn't telling them everything.

"Where are we headed next, good Lieutenant? " Jack asked Charles as they headed around the corner and down another hallway.

"Cast autograph session is in five minutes," Charles said, oblivious to the conversation behind him. "I hope you're feeling limber, because there's quite a line already."

"Autographs?" Gwen asked, mystified.

"Yup, people pay for them here, it makes really good money for the convention," Charles told them, gesturing towards a door. As they entered, they saw long tables set up. A few people they recognized from the show were already seated, so they took their places in the middle where name tags had been put out for them. Ianto was happy they had put those out, so now he'd know how to sign the photos!

There was something so surreal about this whole experience, he mused as the doors opened and people stood in line to get their photos signed. Fans made their way down the rows of tables, chatting with each cast and crew member as they paused for an autograph. Some asked for photos, and they would smile at each person as they took a picture of them.

Ianto was amazed at the number of people who complimented him over his work in the show. If only they knew the truth, he mused as he signed yet another photo of himself standing in front of the Millennium Centre. He had to admit he took a great photo, he thought critically as he signed the photograph with a flourish. His hand was beginning to ache. They had been doing this for at least an hour and there was no end in sight to the line as it snaked out the door. He put down his pen and stretched, trying to get the kinks out of his back from sitting so long.

"You know," a voice said to his left as Jack leaned in to comment. "I think I prefer chasing monsters to this." Ianto laughed. This is probably the longest that Jack had ever sat still. He was probably going stir crazy. He looked past Jack to Gwen who was chatting with a fan about the show. She looked like she was having a fabulous time. It was a good thing she was so chatty, because it slowed down the line a bit and gave him a moment to check the rift monitor.

"Anything?" Jack asked, peering over his shoulder. He was relieved to see that the spikes were picking up once again, both in frequency and intensity.

"Yes, finally. I didn't want to say anything in front of Gwen, but it had all but stopped overnight," Ianto murmured. He looked up at Jack and they shared a glance of understanding. Had the rift not picked back up there was the distinct possibility that they would be stuck forever in this reality. Neither of them wanted that, but they weren't going to scare Gwen with the possibility of that happening until it became an established fact. "I'm getting increased readings, so that's a good thing. Some are close to the same signature, but not exact. I'm going to put an alert on so that if it happens, we'll hear it." He tapped the screen and dropped the monitor into his lap as another fan walked up to Jack for an autograph.

Ianto had to stifle a chuckle as the young woman stammered while waiting for Jack to sign her photo. He really did have an effect on people, Ianto thought as Jack flirted with the girl, trying to get her to relax. Jack's alter ego was going to have a lot to live up to once he returned, since he was sure that there would be a lot of new stories from fans coming out of this convention. He smiled up as the girl moved onto his area, signing the group photo deftly before handing it back to her.

"You are so lucky," she gushed. "Oh, not that you aren't talented yourself," she stammered, aware that she probably had made a faux pas with her comment.

"You're right, I am lucky to work with him," Ianto said with a grin. "And thank you for your comments. They mean a lot." He smiled at her winningly and she drifted off to the writer next to him in a daze.


	14. Chapter 14

Another forty minutes passed before the line finally began to dwindle down. Ianto's hand was stiff from the constant signing. It was a good thing, too, since at least no one could claim to be able to read what he wrote.

"Oi, I'm tired," Gwen complained as she stood up and stretched. "Starving, too." Ianto nodded in agreement. Their breakfast seemed like ages ago. Burn mentioned something about food in the green room, so they followed him back through the ops area to the room he mentioned. A lot of the crew members who were at the convention were already there, grabbing food off the platters scattered about the room.

"What's with you three," Burn asked as he watched them grab their food and sit on a sofa together. "You guys have been joined at the hip since yesterday. Aren't you sick of one another?"

"What's wrong with enjoying one another's company?" Jack asked as he took a bite out of his sandwich. He was wondering when someone was going to notice that they never left one another's sides. Ianto shrugged, ignoring Burn's comment as he dug into his potato salad. He really didn't care what anyone thought.

"I really don't want to go see that bloody play," Burn grumbled as he sat down in a chair near them, eating food from his plate. "I can't be arsed. I mean really. It's usually some ham handed romance or something beyond silly with cheesy fan monsters. It's embarrassing, really."

"Oh, they have so much fun, though," Naoko said as she overheard Burn's comment. "I think it's cute."

"You would," he said with disgust. "Well, I guess I shant complain too much since they're paying us to be here. But you'd think they'd come up with something original occasionally."

Ianto was amused at the conversation. "It could be worse. What if you were in an alternate reality where Torchwood was real and you had to fight your way through each day?" Jack snorted his drink at Ianto's comment and Ianto had to thump him on the back as he coughed. Gwen just shook her head at the two of them.

"Wouldn't that be a cock up?" Burn laughed. "I wonder if I'd be dead there? Probably would be, wouldn't I? I'd be rubbish chasing monsters in real life."

Ianto looked down at his plate. "Oh, I don't know about that. I bet you'd be rather good at it, actually."

"Yeah, that's me, King of the Weevils and all," Burn said with a laugh. "Guess it's something." He stood up and moved off to find more food, Naoko following him. Ianto took the opportunity to check the monitor and was gratified to see that there was a lot more activity going on.

"Jack, I think we're getting close," he murmured, showing him the face of the monitor while Gwen looked on. "The hard part is going to be getting a pin point of where it will open in the hotel, as well as getting to it."

"We're going to have to slip away at some point, " Jack said with a nod. "Kind of hard to do when you're the main characters and everyone's watching you."

"Wait a minute, I have an idea," Gwen said. She picked up her plate and walked over to a table. Leaving her plate behind, she made her way over to where several of the security members were milling around in their UNIT uniforms.

"That still cracks me up, you know," Jack said, indicating the UNIT patrol with his chin. "Martha would kill herself laughing if she ever saw them."

"I could imagine she would," Ianto said. "You know that they had UNIT uniforms for sale in the dealer's room?"

"Oh but Ianto, I only want the real thing for you," Jack said, resting his hand on Ianto's knee. They laughed, sharing a private moment together. The broke apart when Gwen came back towards them, young Charles Grange in tow.

"Jack, Charles has promised to assist us in our secret mission," Gwen said with a smile. The young man stared at her with his mouth hanging open. It was obvious he had a crush on her. "I told him that we would need his assistance with a rift spike, and he's all too happy to assist."

Ianto rolled his eyes. Only here could she tell him the truth and have him believe it. If only the young man knew that it was really true!

"What do I have to do?" The young man asked, eager to assist. This was the best convention ever, he thought to himself. Not only did he get to spend most of his time with the principal cast members, but they were treating him just like a team member. He loved role playing, and this had to take the cake. Just wait until he got home and updated his LJ blog. No one would believe it!

"Come here, Charles," Jack said, moving over and patting the sofa between him and Ianto. Charles nearly tripped over the table in his excitement, and Ianto had to steady him as he made his way to the sofa. "Tell him, Ian." Ianto shook his head. This was insane.

"Well you see, Charles, here's the thing." He picked up the portable rift monitor and showed it to him. The young man's eyes grew huge as he saw that Ianto's monitor showed all sorts of lights and images, as if it really worked. "I've been monitoring a set of spikes that have been going on today. There's one particular signature I'm looking for. When it comes, we're going to have to move swiftly to get to wherever it is. Do you think you can help us get away and over to wherever the rift spike shows up?"

"Sure thing," Charles said with enthusiasm. "Do you think it's going to happen soon?"

"We're not sure. But we have to be ready," Ianto said.

Charles nodded eagerly. "That's right, it is the 21st century, and we've got to be ready," he said, repeating something as if it were a well known phrase. Jack shrugged behind Charles' back at Ianto. "You can count on me, sirs!"

"Good, good," Jack said, patting Charles on the back. "What do we have coming up?"

"Well, there's the fan play next, followed by some more panels into the evening. I think you're all on the Torchwood After Dark panel, and then there's the concert by Willy and The Weevils. That should be a lot of fun." Ianto shook his head and grinned. He could only imagine.

"What do we have to do for the play," Jack asked.

"Just be there and watch it," Charles said. He looked from one to the other of the cast members as they all watched him. It was strange being the center of attention. They were treating him like a real person, like he mattered. It felt really nice. He was so glad he signed up for security detail for this con.

"Well, that can't be too hard, then. Think you can put us someplace where we can slip out if we need to?" Jack asked. Charles nodded eagerly. "Great. Listen, have you eaten yet? This is good food, you should have some."

"Oh, this isn't for me, it's for all of you," Charles protested. Gwen overrode his protests and pulled him to his feet. She then tugged him over to one of the tables and stood there while he made a selection of food to eat. His fellow security members looked on with envy as he got to eat the same food the cast and crew got. They weren't allowed to eat in the green room, but obviously Charles didn't have a choice with Eve Myles insisting he eat.


	15. Chapter 15

"That spike can't come soon enough for me," Jack muttered as he leaned against the back of the sofa.

"Jack, I've been thinking," Ianto said, still distracted by the rift monitor in his hands.

"Ooh, that gives me shivers!" Jack exclaimed softly while Ianto snorted in response. "Only kidding! What about?"

"Our other selves," Ianto said, sitting back so that he was shoulder to shoulder with Jack. "If they did indeed end up in our reality, there is no guarantee they're going to be in the right place to get back here when we cross over. Will we be causing a paradox if we meet ourselves on the other side?"

"That's a good question. I've always tried to avoid meeting myself when I've crossed my own timeline, but that was me meeting myself. Would it be the same case if we meet our alternate reality selves?" Jack stretched his arm along the back of the sofa behind Ianto while he considered the question.

"That's why I wondered about it. It may be that we will have to find our doppelgangers and get them to the rift spike before it closes. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the thought of them stuck on our side of the rift," Ianto said quietly.

"Hmmmm, I see what you mean," Jack said. While it was potentially intriguing to meet himself from another universe, he wouldn't want those poor people to be stuck there. They didn't sign up for the Torchwood life in reality, and over there they would have no other way of living on their own. "We'll just have to chance it. Once we can cross over, we'll have to see if we can find them, and lead them back to where they can come home." He watched as Gwen made her way back to them with a drink in her hand.

"Anything yet?" She asked, indicating the monitor in Ianto's hand. He shook his head and placed it back in his pocket. "Well then, I guess we'll have to sit through this play of theirs. It could be fun."

"I'm finding all of this a bit fun myself," Jack admitted. "It's been a bit like having a holiday."

"I wonder if our counterparts are having the same experience," Ianto wondered. Somehow, he doubted it. One could only hope that nothing serious happened to them and that they were safe, wherever they were. It didn't bear thinking that one of those poor people might be injured by something coming out of the rift at them.

A few minutes later, Charles came to get them for the play presentation. They followed him willingly through the service corridors until they came out near the ballroom again. Charles led the way to the front row, but seated them at the very end near the exit.

"Here, you should be able to sneak out the side door if you need to. " Charles said as he indicated their seats to them. "I'll just stand here off by the column, so I'll be ready to move when you need me to."

"Thanks, Charles. You're a really trooper," Jack said as he gave him a pat on the back. The young man beamed at him, the dim light from the stage glinting off his braces. Jack chuckled. Was he ever that young? He didn't think so.

They sat down and waited for the room to fill up behind them. Ianto peered behind them and watched as all sorts of people took their seats. Many of them were wearing costumes. Some were dressed up as their favorite alien characters, others in outfits like Torchwood team members. He nudged Jack with his elbow and directed his glance towards one group of people who were moving to seats off to the side. One short woman was dressed as Jack, her bracers holding her trousers up over her large stomach. She was a few feet shorter than Jack, and her friend dressed as Gwen towered over her. Gwen giggled as she took in the view and she had to turn around and cover her face. Jack grinned at Ianto.

"It takes all kinds, doesn't it?" Ianto nodded in response to Jack's comment. "God, I love the human race! Always willing to go where no one else is!" The crowd hushed as the house lights came down and the stage lights got brighter. The curtains opened to a round of applause, revealing an empty stage.

There was a large column in the middle of the stage, which Ianto supposed was supposed to represent the water tower in the Hub. Several desks were scattered about the stage.

Someone ran onto the stage. They were dressed in a suit and started muttering about slobs as they cleaned up pizza boxes from the stage floor. Ianto laughed ruefully. It looked like some things didn't change at all. Even his theatrical self was still cleaning up after the rest of the team.

The rest of the cast slowly made their way onto the stage. The one dressed like Jack was munching on pizza, while two women who were supposed to be Tosh and Gwen complained about their lack of social lives. A man in a white coat came in, moaning that he felt so dead. The audience giggled along to their antics as they worked their way through the script. Apparently there was some sort of problem with the rift which caused everyone in the city to have sex with one another. According to the other members of the cast, Captain Jack had volunteered to go out and help each one accomplish their goal, thinking that this would close the rift.

It was in the middle of this that Ianto felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled the rift monitor out of his pocket, trying to be discreet about it. Shielding the glare of the display from the people behind them, he hunched over the display and scrolled through the information.

"Jack," he whispered. "This is it. We've got the signature."


	16. Chapter 16

"Where?" Jack said, looking off to the side where Charles was supposed to be waiting. "Is it close?"

"Not too far, it looks like," Ianto said. Jack touched Gwen's arm to get her attention. He nodded at Ianto and her eyes widened in understanding. "I think we're going to have to go now." Jack nodded.

Jack got up and made his way over to the column by the door, followed by Ianto and Gwen. Glancing back, no one seemed to notice them getting up to leave. Good. He tapped Charles on the shoulder, who looked up at the older man and nodded. Charles moved over to the door and opened it, allowing them to pass through before following behind them.

"Is it time?" He whispered excitedly.

"Yes," Jack said. "Ian, can you get a fix on it?"

"Yes," he said, slowly rotating in a circle as he tried to get his bearings. "It looks to be south and down a couple of levels." He started to walk down the hall staring intently at the display as he walked. Jack followed him closely, ready to steady him if he needed it. Charles scrambled behind them as Gwen followed the two down the hallway.

"What's downstairs?" Jack asked as they headed into a common area. He pulled his greatcoat on, patting the pockets as he walked.

"The gym and pool, I think," Charles said. "I think you can get there this way." He moved in front of Ianto and led the way down an escalator, then down a hall. They saw signs for a sports complex as they reached a doorway. "Down here."

The smell of chlorine intensified as they walked down the stairs to the gym area. The space was deserted at this time of night. That was all for the good, Jack thought as they entered the silent gym. The only illumination that could be seen was from the emergency lights on either end of the room. Beyond the gym was the pool. They could see light shining through the glass wall that separated the pool from the gym.

"What's that?" Charles asked. A shimmering light could be seen reflecting off the water.

"That's our rift entry," Ianto said, a note of relief in his voice. Until he actually saw it, he wasn't sure it would actually be there. He quickly made his way past the workout equipment and towards the door the led to the pool area. "Quickly, now."

"You mean this is real?" Charles squeaked in surprise. He stopped dead at the entrance to the pool area. The others had all moved through the door and were walking down the side of the pool to a large shimmering vortex. "This wasn't something we were role playing?"

"This is real, Charles," Gwen said, coming back and touching his arm. She could feel him trembling. His eyes were huge in his face, his fear evident. "Listen Charles, we need you to do something for us."

"What?" Charles croaked, his throat dry.

"I want to tell you something very important, Charles. That really is Captain Jack Harkness. And that is Ianto Jones. I am really Gwen. We came through a rift through space and time from our own reality into yours yesterday. " She put her hands on his face to focus his view on her, and not on the vortex in front of him. "And we need your help, Charles."

Looking away from the sparkling lights seemed to help him keep focus. "What can I do?" he asked breathlessly. Never in a million years could he ever imagine this happening to him. This really was the Torchwood team! They were real!

"We need to go through the rift back to our own reality. But we also need to find your cast members and send them back here. We think they ended up on our side of the rift. I need you to wait here until they made their way through. Then I want you to help them. Get them to their rooms and take care of them. Can you do that for me?" Gwen asked. She ignored Jack's hissed call for her. "Charles?"

"Yeah, I can do that," he nodded. It was incredible. He couldn't believe that this was all real. "You're really you?"

"Yeah, I really am. And I want to thank you for being our friend and helping us," Gwen said. "It means a lot." She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I've got to go, they're waiting for me and we don't have much time. But I wanted to thank you, Charles Grange. You've helped us more than words can say."

She released him and stepped back. "Quickly, Gwen," Jack called. He and Ianto stood right at the edge of the vortex, waiting for her. He nodded to Ianto who stepped into the shimmering light and vanished. Jack motioned for Gwen to follow him. He was about to step through before he turned back to the young man standing behind him.

"Thank you, Charles. You are worthy of that UNIT uniform," Jack said, giving him a crisp salute. "We owe you one." Charles beamed with pride and smartly saluted Jack. Jack gave him a wink and stepped into the shimmering sphere.


	17. Chapter 17

Ianto stumbled through the rift, dropping to his knees as felt the effects of the vortex energy release him. He scrambled out of the way, knowing that Gwen and Jack would be right behind him. He looked around as he tried to get his bearings. The area didn't look familiar, but with any luck they were in the same vicinity as their doubles. He caught Gwen as she stumbled through the rift opening, followed a moment later by Jack.

"How much time do we have to find the others?" Jack asked as he dusted himself off. Ianto looked down at his monitor and scanned the area.

"This rift opening should stay here for about another 15 minutes. That means we better hope that those others are close by," he said. He tapped the screen, looking for their unique physical signatures. Each of the Torchwood members were on file and could be traced due to their unique electrical signatures as registered in the database. It should be relatively easy to find a duplicate signature for each of them which would identify their counterparts. He masked their own signals and scanned for the duplicate signals. "I'm getting a reading due east of here. Luckily they don't look to be too far."

"Good, let's get moving," Jack said decisively. He moved off in the direction that Ianto indicated, followed quickly by Ianto and Gwen. They started to sprint, knowing that they were running out of time. Jack reached into the pocket of his greatcoat and pulled out a gun, handing it to Ianto before pulling his own out of another pocket. "Better be prepared."

"Right, sir." Ianto said decisively. Especially if they ran into something nasty, they needed to be ready. They turned left and then right down and alley. Ianto put up a hand to stop them while he got his bearings again. The metal in the alley was causing reflections in the signals, and he wanted to get a more accurate reading.

"Ianto," Jack urged him, looking around.

"Jack, do you hear something?" Gwen asked, cocking her head to listen. Jack looked at her. Then he heard it. It sounded like someone was singing.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jack asked. Gwen nodded. Definitely someone singing. Then they heard a familiar roar. "Oh, shit." They took off again, Ianto playing catch up behind them. It took two more turns of the alley into a cul-de-sac before they got close enough to see what was going on.

"Damn," Jack said, increasing his stride. Just what they didn't need. It sounded like a Weevil. They turned the corner to see a Weevil standing in front of several people. Jack could make out two people crouched in front of another, their arms raised to protect themselves. He sent a shot into the air, startling the Weevil. It turned towards him, growling menacingly.

"Go on, get out of here before I really shoot you," he said, annoyed. If that Weevil had hurt these poor people he'd probably shoot it several times. He took another shot towards its feet and it scampered backwards, howling. He aimed to take another shot when it finally moved, skulking off down the alley.

Gwen rushed forward towards the group of people. "Are you okay?" She asked. The two men got up cautiously and stared at her in shock.

"What the hell?" The older man said. He looked just like Jack, she mused to herself. He really was him. The other man was wearing a tattered jacket. It looked like he had taken the brunt of the attack, but it didn't look like he was hurt. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"Yes, you are. I'm Gwen," she said. "You've come through a rift in time into our reality, and we fell into yours. We're here to get you back home."

"You mean this is all real?" The other man asked. Ianto. No, Gareth was his name, she remembered. He helped the woman up behind him and stared at the others in wonder. "You really do exist?"

"We do in this reality," Ianto said. "You shouldn't be here, though. I don't know how long we can be together before something bad happens. We'll have to hurry."

"Wait a minute. What happened?" The man who played Jack asked, staring at his double. It was uncanny.

"No time for that now," Jack said impatiently. "We have to get you back to the rift vortex before it destabilizes. You want to get home, don't you?"

"Yes!" The woman cried, brushing her hair from her eyes. "I do. Where do we go?" Gwen smiled at her. For all that she seemed in shock, she had spunk to her.

"This way," Gwen said, pointing behind them. She turned and started heading back the way they had just come. Ianto motioned for the others to follow her, taking up the rear with Jack. They began to make their way back through the alleys, tracing their path back to the rift fluctuations.

"Is it still in the same place?" Jack asked as Ianto glanced down at the monitor and nodded. He couldn't help but notice that the others were still looking at them in fascination. It was pretty strange, he thought to himself. It was like looking in a mirror.

"Okay, I gotta ask," Jack said, moving forward to match strides with their doubles. "Which one of you serenaded the Weevil?"

"That was me," Jack's double said with a laugh. "Didn't you ever hear of music soothing the savage beast?"

"Did it work?" Jack asked, amused by the thought. His double had a good singing voice. Hmm, that gave him some ideas for when he was alone with Ianto one of these nights….

"For a few minutes. Then I think it heard you and got mad again," the other man said ruefully. They walked along besides one another for a bit. Interesting, they even had the same sort of walk, Jack mused. He shook his head to get back to the issue at hand.


	18. Chapter 18

"Ianto, we still headed in the right direction?" Jack called to the young man walking behind them.

"It's shifting, but slowly. It shouldn't be too far," he said, indicating the direction with his chin. He glanced up to see Gareth looking at him closely. "Hello," he said with a grin.

"Wow," Gareth said, taking in the man in front of him. "Are those my clothes you have on?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. We got stuck overnight at the convention and needed a change. Hope you don't mind," Ianto said apologetically. Gareth shook his head in bemusement. "Besides, you'll find a very nice suit waiting for you back at the hotel. But that does make me wonder, were you stuck out here overnight?"

"No, we holed ourselves up in a cheap hotel around the corner. I had some cash on me for the convention, so we used that," Gareth said. "John tried calling his partner, but the number was disconnected. We weren't really sure where we were, so we just stayed low for the night after I went out and got us some chips from around the corner. We were just heading back out to see if we could figure out where we needed to go when our friend showed up."

"It must have been a shock to see a real Weevil in person, I bet." Ianto said with amusement. Gareth nodded.

"This is so strange. If you're real, is the rest of it real?" John asked, unconsciously pacing Jack step for step.

"Rest of what?" Jack asked, one eyebrow raised at his double. "You mean Torchwood?"

"Yeah," John said. "Is it all real here?"

"Believe it or not, everything you've acted out has really happened to us," Jack said, grinned. "We just spent the last couple of days answering questions at a science fiction convention, except that it really was stuff that happened to us. It isn't the strangest place I've ever found myself, but it comes close."

"So who is echoing whom?" John wondered. "Are we mirrors of you or the other way around?"

"Maybe neither," Jack shrugged. "Though if it's the latter, can you ask your writers to give us a couple of episodes with nothing dangerous and a relaxing trip to Mallorca? I could use a holiday after this." He laughed.

They turned another corner and could see a shimmer off in the distance. "Almost there," Ianto said. "I think it may shift again before we get there. But it shouldn't move too far."

"Gwen?" Eve asked as she walked next to her double. "Is it all real here? I mean, the team, Rhys, everything?"

"It's certainly real to me," Gwen said. "And yes, I'm married to Rhys. And I was pregnant at the wedding with the Nostrovite child. I think you probably had it a wee bit easier than I did, though," she said with a smile.

"Then in this world, Tosh and Owen are dead?" Eve asked softly. Gwen nodded wordlessly. "I'm so sorry."

"We saw them, you know. Naoko and Burn. We spoke to them," Gwen said her voice a whisper. "In a way, we were able to say the goodbyes we never had a chance to say. I want to thank you for that."

Eve's eyes filled with tears. She could only imagine the shock they had when they saw their fellow actors at the convention. "I'm glad you had that chance."

They had to cross one more street before they located the rift again. It shimmered brightly in front of them.

"Okay, here you are. When you come through, hopefully you'll be in the same place as we left," Jack said. "We left someone waiting for you." At John's enquiring look he continued. "One of the convention security escorted us down to the pool area. He's been instructed to wait for you and to escort you up to your hotel rooms. His name is Charles."

"Oh, you mean one of the kids in the bad UNIT costumes?" John asked with a laugh. Jack nodded.

"He was a great help to us," Gwen said. "Please thank him for us."

"Okay, I'm getting fluctuations. You better go through now," Ianto said.

"So what do we do?" Gareth asked, facing the shimmering globe in front of him. "Just walk through?"

"Yup, just about. It might not line up on the other side, you might drop a foot or two when you land," Ianto said. "Good luck."

"Thank you," Eve said, looking at each of them and smiling. "Thank you for helping us get back home."

"Go," Jack said. "Don't want you to get stuck here. Not that it wouldn't be interesting, but I don't think I could handle two Iantos at the same time." He could hear Ianto snort behind him.

"I can't see as it would be worse than two Jacks in the same place," Ianto said. They grinned at one another while Gwen shook her head.

"Let's not encourage those two," she said, escorting John closer to the rift. "You better go through before they change their minds and you get trapped here."

"Are they really together in this reality?" John asked, looking behind him. She nodded. "Heh. Hot damn." He took one last glance at the two men behind him who were now standing arm in arm watching them. "Have fun, boys."

"Oh, we will," Jack said with a grin. He waved as John passed through the rift, followed swiftly by Gareth and Eve. The shimmering continued for a few moments before dissipating, leaving only the empty alley wall behind.

"Let's go home," Jack said, reaching a hand out to Gwen. She smiled as she walked over and clasped it. They walked down the alley, swinging their hands together. He still had his other arm wrapped around Ianto and he pulled him close and grinned. "That was fun, but I'd rather not repeat it anytime soon."

"Me neither, sir," Ianto agreed.

"You know what?" Jack asked. "I could murder a pizza right now." They laughed at they went off in search of the SUV. It was a good thing they had a tracker on it, so they could find it…..


	19. Chapter 19

**Epilogue**

Charles stood in the doorway, waiting for some sign that the Torchwood team had indeed found their counterparts and were ready to send them home. It was eerily quiet in the pool area. Now that the team had left, he could hear the lapping of the water against the edges of the pool. He shivered, now that he was left alone on his own.

Gwen hadn't said how long it would take, but he was afraid to move. Afraid that if he did something, it would mess up the rift opening and the cast wouldn't be able to make it through. For a brief moment he considered going through himself. Would the team welcome him on the other side of the rift? Or would they be disappointed that he didn't do as they asked and helped their counterparts get back home?

A moment later the decision was taken out of his hands as the shimmering sphere started to shift.

"Wait!" He cried. "You can't go!" He didn't know whether calling out would matter, nor whether anyone could hear him. But he experienced panic at the thought that it was going to drift out of existence. His concern was enough to leave the spot in the doorway and he moved closer to the edge of the pool to watch. The sphere was beautiful; he thought as he stared at it, the lights sparkling within it had a mesmerizing affect on him. Something made him glance down and he realized that if he took another step he would fall into the pool.

No, it can't stop there! He thought to himself. If the cast came through, they'd end up in the water. He started to panic, scared that they would come through the rift at any moment and get hurt or something. Would it make a difference if he blew at it, to get it to move? He wasn't sure.

Looking around, not that anyone was near, he tried it anyway. He blew air out of his cheeks at the cloud in the hopes of making it move. It didn't seem to make a difference, so he tried flapping his arms as well. At least until he caught sight of his own reflection in the glass on the other side of the room.

"Look at me, I look like an idiot!" He said to himself. "Great, now I'm talking to myself!" He started pacing back and forth. "What would Jack do? He's a smart guy, he'd think of something. Oh, no, not again!" The cloud began to drift back and away from the water and towards the back wall. "Wait! Where are you going now?" He cried. He walked around the far side of the pool, trying to keep track of it. At this rate, it was going to go through the outside wall. He ran to the other side, looking out the window. It looked like there was grass on the outside, so at least it wouldn't be too bad if they came back there. He stood with indecision at the entry to the outside area. It was alarmed and would go off if he opened it. Best to wait and see if the cloud moved through before he did that.

The sphere began to drift back again away from the wall. He sighed relief, but had to run to follow it as it picked up speed and moved through the wall into the gym area. He slipped on some water on the floor, bashing his elbow into the doorway as he caught himself from falling.

"Oh no!" He gasped. The sphere was now floating. He tried to follow it, awkwardly dodging equipment. It was picking up speed, and he was so afraid that he wasn't going to be able to track it as it moved. It was quickly apparent that it is going to rise up, so he left the gym and ran for the stairs. He tried to keep track of where it was last.

Panting as he reached the top of the stairs he stopped when he realized he was facing a hallway of conference rooms. Which one did it move to? He had to look in five doors before he caught the telltale shimmer of the sphere. It seemed to be staying in one place for the moment, so he collapsed into a chair to catch his breath. "Stay!" he said. He didn't know if it would work, but at this point it was better than nothing.

He tried to think how much time had passed since they had gone through to the other side. Had they found the cast members? Could they send them back? What if they couldn't find them at all and the sphere disappeared? His thoughts jumbled together in panic as he thought about how he would have to explain that the con guests were no longer in this universe. What would happen to the show without them? He pictured news reports where the con was blamed for kidnapping the actors, and that he himself might be blamed since he spent so much time with them this weekend. He started to hyperventilate at the thought of everyone blaming him for what happened. Then it happened again.

The sphere was on the move. "No, no no!" He cried, lurching out of his chair and watching it disappear through the wall. Tearing out of the room, he followed it down the hallway. They were now in the lobby area by the escalator. "Please stop!" He cried. It didn't seem to be listening. And it was drifting up again. Up to the main convention floor. "Oh, no!"

He took the escalator stairs two at a time, his own breath harsh in his ears as he ran after the shimmering light. He could see some of his fellow staffers starting to notice the sphere and move towards it. "Keep away from that thing!" he shouted. Two of them were standing in the way and they moved down a side opening by the ballroom to get out of the way.

"What is that?" One guy said. He tried to see if Charles had some sort of control or projector, but the younger man clearly had nothing in his hands. By his wild expression, he was in a complete panic about whatever it was.

"If I told you it was a rift through time and space would you believe me?" He gasped. It was a good thing the play was still going on and that there weren't more people milling around. "If you touch it you might find yourself someplace else."

"Right," the second kid said. It was obvious that he didn't believe him. "So what are you doing with it?"

"Following it and waiting for people to come through it," he said, moving along the corridor. He was gaining an audience as the few people in the corridor followed him. "And stopping people like you from walking into it."

"And how did you get involved with this?" The other guy asked. He could tell that Charles was deathly serious about this. He didn't exactly believe him, since everyone knew that the rift was just a plot device for the series and didn't really exist. Besides they were nowhere near Cardiff, even if it was true.

"Because half the cast is stuck in that thing and I'm waiting for them to come out," Charles said, shouting again to get his fellow security out of the way. "Get out of the way of this thing!"

"Really?" A girl asked. She was dressed up in a costume that made him think of Toshiko. "I thought the cast was in the ballroom, watching the play."

"They were," Charles said, panting as the sphere slowed and taking the opportunity to lean against the wall in exhaustion. "They left just after it started. I was with them. And if I told you the rest, you really wouldn't believe me. Oh, no. Please don't go in there!" Charles was pleading as he saw the shimmering light touch the ballroom wall. They were almost to the service corridors, so they had to be at the front of the ballroom near the stage. "Please!"

The sphere wasn't listening. It slowly started to penetrate the wall and he ran back to the doors and opened them. The play stopped when people registered the shimmering light in front of the stage. Several people stood up, followed by the rest of the audience as everyone else tried to get a look at what it was. Charles was in a panic. There were too many people about, and it was possible that someone was going to get hurt.


	20. Chapter 20

"What the hell is going on?" He could see several members of the con com coming forward and he put up a hand to keep them back.

"Stay away from it! It's dangerous!" He said. The sphere was hovering several feet off the floor by this point. "Please don't touch it!" It was at this moment that there was a flash and a loud thump as a figure dropped down out of the cloud and landed on the floor.

Someone was on their knees gasping, wearing a torn jacket.

"Are you okay?" Charles asked anxiously. He moved forward just enough to touch the other man. He reached down to offer the first man – Ianto - no Gareth, the actor – a hand up.

"Thanks," Gareth said as he took Charles' hand and pulled himself up. "That hurt." The sphere was still moving away and a moment later two more people fell through, landing heavily on their hands and knees. "Eve! John! Are you guys all right?"

"Not the most graceful of landings," John said as he stood and helped Eve up. He caught sight of the young man wearing the UNIT outfit. "Ah, our knight in shining armor. You must be Charles." After a moment the three realized that they weren't alone and in a room full of fans.

"Well this is a bit unexpected," John said as he looked around. "Weren't we supposed to come out in the gym?"

"The portal or whatever you want to call it decided to move," Charles said. By this point, the rest of the guests had moved forward to the front of the room. He looked around for the sphere and saw that it was finally fading out. They had got through it just in time. "That was close."

"Too close," Gareth agreed. He didn't want to think about what might have happened if they hadn't gone through in time.

"Did you just come through that cloud?" It was Russell and he was looking at them all in amazement. "Weren't you here watching the show?"

"No, we weren't Russell." Eve said. She was still shaking for the experience and smiled gratefully as someone brought a chair for her to sit down. "I don't think you'd believe us if we told you what happened." She didn't notice as the con security started pushing people back to give them room. That left them surrounded by members of the convention committee, their fellow cast members and the other guests who were still standing there, looking on in amazement.

"What was that thing?" Burn asked. It was clear that his fellow cast mates had been through something, since they were all looking a little worse for wear. They were also wearing the same clothes he remembered seeing them wearing the night before, well, before the panel they did. John still had his greatcoat on. Why he insisted on buying one of those from the costume department, Burn didn't know. Must be the ego, he thought to himself. Gareth looked the worst for wear, and like he had a tussle with something bigger than him.

"An inter-dimensional rift," Charles said, still amazed that they had gotten through. "I think we better move someplace else where you can talk." The rest of the group saw that they still had a sizeable audience, so they quickly agreed to move to the green room. Charles and his fellow security staff helped lead them back to the green room while a couple of the committee members tried to organize the performance to start again.

In the relative privacy of the green room everyone started talking at once. Finally, Russell raised his voice enough to get them all to stop. "All right, let's start at the beginning."

"What was the beginning?" Gareth asked, one of the con com members checking his arm for injuries. "I'm okay. Really."

"It all started out yesterday when we were getting ready for that panel," John started. "We were in the art show because it was empty and a good place to prepare. The next think we knew, that thing you saw floated through the room and zapped us onto a street in Cardiff." He proceeded to tell them the story, not without a lot of interruptions as people exclaimed or said what they remembered, since everyone in the room had interacted with each of them while they had been gone.

"That wasn't us," John said, nodding thanks to Charles as he passed around coffee to each of them. "That was the real Torchwood team."

"Wait a minute John, what are you talking about?" Russell asked, a perplexed look on his face. "What real team? I made them all up, how can they be real?"

"In their dimension, Torchwood really exists. Apparently exactly as you wrote about them. Still not sure which one comes first – your stories or them. But they came into our time and pretended to be us once they realized what happened. Charles, you can explain it better than I can," John said, looking at the younger man.

Charles gulped as all eyes turned to look at him. "Yeah, well, I didn't know until a short while ago about any of this, either. I just thought they were role playing. But Ianto showed me his portable rift monitor. You know, exactly like the ones you have on the show. And it looked like it was working. They said they had been tracking activity that seemed to be centered around the hotel, and that once they found a spike that matched the type that would lead home, they would go through it. One appeared just after the play got started and I led them down to the pool area. To that shimmering globe or whatever it was. And they went through it, but not before Gwen asked me to wait for the others to come back. She said that they were going to find them and get them back home."

"Amazing," Russell said in wonder. "Simply amazing. It must have been really strange for them. "

"A bit of a shock, really," Eve said with a sigh. "Their Owen and Tosh really were dead over there, so it was especially true for them when they ran into you two," she said, indicating Burn and Naoko. "Gwen told me that at least they were able to say goodbye, so the trip had been worth it."

Naoko gasped as she realized the implications of what happened the night before. "I thought they were just staying in character! Though it explains why Gar… erm I guess it was the real Ianto, wasn't it? Why Ianto looked at me the way he did." Burn looked troubled as he remembered how Gwen had held them both close. The tears streaming down her face had been real.


	21. Chapter 21

"So what happened to you?" Charles asked, intrigued as to what happened to the actors while they had been gone. "Was it scary?"

"Not at first. It was just confusing. I mean, all I kept on thinking about was how the heck we ended up there when the last time we had been standing in the art show." John said. "We wandered around for a bit, totally lost. I tried calling everyone on my mobile, but none of the numbers worked. "

"We finally decided it would be safer to find a place for the night and holed up in some hotel not too far from where we arrived," Gareth said taking up the tale. "Then today we started wandering around. We were just debating going to the police when we ran into a Weevil. Scared the shit out of me, too," he indicated his arm.

"A real Weevil? My goodness, what happened then?" Russell asked in fascination.

"Realizing that thing was real was the really scary part," Gareth said. "It snapped at me with it's teeth and tried to claw me. I was able to kick it back so it didn't get more than my jacket. Then we backed up against a wall and tried to see if it would go away. John even tried singing to it."

"Did it work?" One of the other writers asked, an interested look on his face.

"For a couple of minutes," John said. "By that time the real team had shown up and the sound of them running got it antsy again. Russell, you should have seen them. Captain Jack came running up, his gun out and shot into the air. He scared it off. It was amazing."

"Did they really go to panels and just act like they were us?" Gareth asked. When Charles and the other con members nodded he shook his head in wonder. "I wonder what that must have been like."

"I think a little embarrassing for Ianto, to be honest," Charles said. "He got the brunt of the questions at the main panel." Russell stared at him as he made his comment, his mouth open as he realized he had been correcting things that the team said during that panel. What they must have been thinking!

"You know no one outside of this convention will ever believe any of this?" Gareth asked. "They'll probably claim it was a publicity stunt for the show."

"Probably right," John said. He stretched. "I don't know about you too, but I could use a shower right now. That hotel wasn't exactly the type of place I'd hang out at." It was quickly agreed that the three should go up and rest after their ordeal. Charles volunteered to escort them up to the suite.

The group dispersed, with Charles leading John, Gareth and Eve out of the green room and down the corridor.

"This way, please," Charles said. He led the way out of the gym and down the hall to the lobby area. "There's an elevator here so I can get you back up to your floor."

"Thank you, Charles," Eve said. "We really appreciate your help."

Charles did a double take as she smiled at him. The way she looked at him and smiled was just like Gwen had. It was amazing. He held the door open to let them into the elevator before pushing the button for their floor. The group was quiet, all lost in their own thoughts. The elevator opened up on their floor and he led the way down the hallway. "Here, Gwen gave me back the room keys, though I don't think she used hers. They all stayed in the suite while they were here."

"They did, did they?" John said, one eyebrow raised. "Guess they didn't want to get separated."

"Certainly Ianto and Jack didn't," Gareth said with a laugh. "Did you see those two together?"

"Yeah," John said with a grin. "It gives me some ideas to tell the writers." They laughed. Eve just shook her head.

"But what if what Jack said is right, and that they're just mirroring what we do in this universe?" She asked, waiting John open the hotel suite door.

"Then I ask Russell to send us on location for a holiday, as he asked me to," John quipped. He could see Charles still standing awkwardly. "Charles, thank you. The team wanted us to tell you that. You helped them a lot, and got them back home. And because you did that, we're home, too. I appreciate you waiting around for us."

Charles blushed and he looked down. "It was fun. I didn't know until we found the rift opening that it was real. I thought they were really you. They certainly seem to enjoy the con!"

"Did they really?" Gareth asked with interest. "Charles, want to come in for a moment? I feel as if we owe you."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly…" Charles stammered. Now that his mission was over, he was feeling a bit awkward around the cast. Eve took his arm and tugged him through the door, overriding his protest.

"Nonsense, of course you can. Please come in," she asked, her large expressive eyes pleading. He melted into that glance, and allowed her to pull him into the suite.

Gareth called down for some food, as they hadn't had anything substantial to eat in their time in the alternate universe. John paced around the suite, looking for signs that the others had been here. "Looks like they left some clothes behind," he said, holding a blue shirt in his hands as he came out of the bedroom. "Interesting cologne the Captain wears." He sniffed appreciatively at the spicy scent which emanated from the shirt. He stooped as something fell out of the pocket. "Hmmmm." He pocketed the item before Charles could see what it was, but it looked like a tube or something. Chuckling, he headed back into the bedroom to put the shirt away.


	22. Chapter 22

"Ianto said he left me his suit," Gareth said with a grin. "I think I made out in the long run." He stepped out of the room for a few moments before coming back into the living area. "He certainly lives up to his neat reputation, I'll give him that."

Charles sat gingerly on the sofa, his eyes darting from one to another of the cast members. "Do you think anyone believed what you told them downstairs?"

Eve asked. "I think they're all laughing about it now. It does sound a bit fantastic, doesn't it?."

"I wouldn't laugh," he promised her.

"Ah, but you were there for it all, Charles," she said with a smile. "And you're a believer. But would anyone else?"

"I bet they would," he said earnestly. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"Food should be here soon, " Gareth said. He sat down on a chair with a sigh. "I think I pulled something back there. " He pulled off his jacket and examined his ruined sleeve. "Good thing the claws didn't break the skin. How would I explain that one to everyone?"

"Rough date?" John quipped as he returned to the room, a grin on his face. At this point there was a knock on the door as their room service was delivered. Gareth had ordered most of the menu, so there was a large variety of stuff to eat by the time it was all delivered. "Didn't think of pizza, did you? I have a craving right now."

"Sorry, didn't have it on the menu," Gareth apologized before tipping the bellhop and closing the door. "Dig in, everyone."

"I'll be right back, I really do need that shower," John said, heading back into the suite. They heard the water running as each of them grabbed some food.

"What were they like?" Eve asked Charles, curious. "Were they like us?"

"Yeah," Charles said. "They were exactly like you. I first met up with them in the art show. That must have been where they first appeared. I just thought that they – well, you… well, I guess them – were just acting in character. They did it so well I didn't think about it. Now, when I think that it really was them, I wonder what they thought about being at a convention, where their lives were the stuff of fiction."

"Maybe they enjoyed themselves," Eve said. She grabbed a sandwich off the platter and indicated the food to Charles. "Please, have some."

"Oh no, I'm okay." Charles stammered. Eve wasn't accepting no for an answer, so finally he gave in and took some food. It wasn't until he bit into the sandwich that he realized how hungry he had been with all of the running around.

Gareth and Eve continued to ask questions about their doubles while they ate. Charles tried to tell them everything he remembered. It was while he was telling the story about the Captain Jack panel that John came back, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. His hair was still damp from the shower, and he piled his plate up with food as he listened to Charles' story.

"And then someone asked him about Ianto," Charles said, trying to remember everything that had been said. "He told them Ianto was the love of his life."

"Really?" Gareth said, grinning over at John. "Gonna have fun playing that next season, then. Was Ianto there at this panel?"

"Yup, both Gwen and Ianto followed Jack everywhere. I guess they didn't want to be separated. " Charles said. "With the rift acting up, I guess I can't blame them."

"No, I guess not." Eve agreed. "Charles, this must have been some adventure for you."

"Yeah, it was. One of the best. I never knew it was going to be this fun," he said with a grin. At that moment, his radio crackled. "Guess my break is over and I need to get back to the con."

"Is there anything left of the con, or did we miss all the good stuff?" John asked

"There's still all the late night stuff, if you're up for it. But if you're not, just let me know, and I'll radio down an excuse for you." Charles promised.

"No, I want to hear what the fans thought of meeting the real team as well. We'll be down later after these two have had a bit of time to clean up. Thank you again," John stood and offered his hand in thanks to the young security man. Charles gulped before nervously taking his hand and shaking it.

"Your welcome. Well, I guess I should be going. Just let me know if you change your minds," Charles stammered as he looked around the room before going to the door. "I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to come back until the con was over. Wouldn't want to run into another of those spikes again!"

"Thanks, Charles," Gareth said, giving him a pat on the arm. "Thanks for helping with everything."

"We do appreciate it," Eve said, reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek. He stared at her in wonder. Gwen had done exactly the same thing.

"I guess I'll see you later downstairs, then." He said with a blush as he let himself out the door. "Bye now!" He closed the door and left the suite, heading back down to the con. What a day. He wasn't sure if he was going to post it all on his LJ blog, because he didn't know if anyone would believe any of it. But then, these were Torchwood fans. Of course they would!

FIN


End file.
